January is Human Trafficking Awareness month. According to the ILO, 49.6 million people are trapped in modern-day slavery. The realities of their experiences are brutal and hard to comprehend. Our mission is to extend God’s love to people who have been trafficked, especially for the purposes of sexual exploitation.
January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month, a time set aside to raise awareness about human trafficking and to educate people about how to identify and prevent this crime. Below I want to share just one story of a survivor who has been helped through one of our partner projects.
Myanmar project
The day Myat Noe was tricked, she was wearing her school uniform. She keenly felt how lucky she was that her single mother worked so hard to allow her to attend school. She was determined to study hard and make something of her life. Her dedicated mother was out when she returned from school. A neighbour walked up to her home, accusing Myat Noe of stealing. She demanded that the young girl get into her car. Myat Noe wanted to refuse but was afraid to disobey an elder. The further they drove, the more worried she became.
Suddenly the car stopped. The neighbour got out, took money from a man, and left Myat Noe standing on the side of the road. She started to cry as the man informed her that he had bought her to work in his brothel. She yelled, “NO! I do not want to be with boys for sex!” She wanted to go back to school and be at home with her mother. When she tried to run away, he caught her easily. As he beat her, he told Myat Noe that he would kill her and her family if she didn’t do what he said.
He forced her to work in his brothel where she endured constant abuse. No one knew where she was and there was no one to hear her cries for help. She wished she were dead.
One day, Myat Noe found some medication and took it all, in hopes of ending her life. When she awoke, she learned that she had been in a coma for days. She could not walk, her brain felt strange, and her body wasn’t working as expected. Through it all, the brothel still sent customers to her.
During one visit, she broke down and turned away from the customer to cry. Pitying her, he called her mother and told her where Myat Noe was. Her mother immediately called the authorities, and the Anti-Trafficking Police rescued Myat Noe. Although she was free, she didn’t feel it yet.
“I felt so broken and damaged when I arrived at the project. They welcomed me and seemed to see past the shame I felt. They helped me cope during those days.”
Myat Noe started working through her trauma, through the process of understanding her pain and began the healing process. Myat Noe became more hopeful each passing day in the loving environment of our partner project. She was able to embrace a new beginning. She became strong and fulfilled her long time dream of working in a beauty salon. When someone likes her work, Myat Noe now smiles from behind the salon chair. She’s immensely proud of her skills and helps bring more beauty into the world.
Join Our 21-Day Prayer Campaign
We believe in the power of prayer, and trust our Almighty God to provide what is needed for us to push back the darkness of human trafficking by bringing hope, restoration, and healing. Please consider joining us between January 11th – 31st as we take time to pray over Hope and Light, our partner projects and for growth and direction in 2023.
We would love you to join us. To join simply click this link, or in case of any issues WhatsApp/Text the word “PRAYER” to 07739799211, and you’ll be added to the group and automatically receive a daily prayer WhatsApp text for 21 days. Alternatively please email laura@hopeandlightshop.com to be added to the group.
We can’t wait to link arms in this way as we begin 2023. Thank you in advance for your prayer support.
Laura.
