No child should die because of a mosquito bite. Together, we can end malaria in our lifetime.
Malaria is near and dear to our family, because Cory has had malaria several times. She lived in Madagascar, Africa for 8 years and contracted malaria for the first time during her first year there.
Many people who live in Africa and other countries as well are susceptible to a mosquito bite.
How can this dreaded disease be stopped? Well, one way is by providing bed nets treated with insecticides. One $6 bed net is large enough to protect 2 children or more for about 4 years.
Why is this cause important? Because more than 2,000 children die each day from malaria. (some sources say 3,000)
Malaria is a potentially fatal infection of the blood that is caused by a protozoan parasite called Plasmodium. An infection occurs when a person is bitten by a mosquito that carries the parasite.
Malaria is preventable and treatable. However, each year, 350-500 million people are infected with malaria. African children under the age of five account for 75% of those who die--that's 3,000 children each day and 20% of ALL childhood deaths in sub-Saharan Africa. (source: UNICEF)
Malaria endangers pregnant mothers and babies. It is responsible for as many as 10,000 maternal deaths a year. Women who contract malaria during pregnancy can run the risk of maternal anemia, spontaneous abortions and stillborn children. Their children may suffer from impaired fetal growth, premature birth or low birth weight.
Malaria symptoms include fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, and joint aches. If left untreated, malaria can develop into cerebral malaria that can cause a coma and even death.
Let's put an end to malaria. Bite Back! Donate $6 per bed net to World Vision or $10 per net to Compassion International!
HELP SAVE A LIFE!
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Monday, April 25, 2011
Malaria--Cory's Story
Since today is World Malaria Day I thought it fitting to post Cory's encounter with the disease. (This is a little different version than last years post.)
I remember when I first got malaria in Madagascar in 1999 on an outreach.
I was with a team of about ten people, and I was the only 'white' person. The outreach had started out fine, until I started to feel sick. I didn't know what it was, but I had the chills, stomach ache, and loss of appetite. After a day or so, I was getting worse and so we called for a doctor. He came and knew right away it was malaria. I was put on some medication and then later a nurse came to start giving me shots. I had to have three shots, once a day. The following days, I still couldn't eat much and I had to pretty much wobble to get to the bathroom (which was outside) since I felt dizzy getting up and was completely weak. During this period, my teammates had to leave for an overnight trip to the bush. I stayed back at the house where a family was hosting us. I remember, as I was resting, or trying to rest, one of the helper guys was peeking in on me through the window. I was thinking, what's up with this guy...I guess he doesn't see too many white people, especially sick ones. So once he left I closed all the windows.
I don't really remember how I slept that night, since I was in a foreign place, I didn't speak the language yet, I was alone in the house, and there was a guy peeking in on me...it must have been all those drugs that I was on.
It took a good couple of weeks before I could regain my strength and feel like a part of the team again, doing ministry.
That wasn't the only time that I had malaria, as it stays in your blood once you get it. I got it again, worse than the first time in 2000. My friends were even saying if I needed to go home earlier (I was due for a furlough two months before I got sick), they would totally release me.
The symptoms were worse than before and I really thought it was going to be my last days. I got so weak that I couldn't do anything...I needed help getting to the bathroom (which was a bucket as I was on the top floor of the house and couldn't go up and down the stairs) and needed help eating, though I didn't eat much because I couldn't keep anything down.
As I lay there in bed, not knowing what was going to happen, being away from my family...people started praying for me more and more. One of the people I was staying with was a 'shepherd' from her church in Madagascar. The ‘shepherds’ go to different villages and pray for the sick and cast out demons. So this woman took her Bible and stood up on the bed that I was laying on and started praying and rebuking the enemy. Seriously, the next day and the days after that, I started to slowly get better. I was able to keep some food down. After two weeks I was able to regain my strength. I think that was the hardest time: being sick and being away from home. But you know, even as I lay there sick, there was a peace also upon me, knowing that if that was my time, it wasn't in vain.
The malaria didn't stop there though, I got it again in Tamatave around 2002. This case of malaria wasn't as bad as the first two but I was to be hospitalized if I didn't get better. Well, not wanting to be in a hospital bed, I prayed for healing and that the medicines would work. Praise God, He healed me once again.
World Malaria Day!
Malaria: A deadly threat with a simple solution
By Heidi Isaza and Peter Warski, World Vision U.S.
Rachel Chuya, mother of five in Zambia, remembers her family's battles with malaria.
"Malaria could not end in our household," she says. "It was like we were just exchanging [it]. When my husband suffered from malaria and he got healed, the next person [to get it] was me. When I got healed, the next [were] our children," she remembers.
"It was very painful."
She recalls the symptoms of this terrible disease -- such as fever, chills, yellow eyes, rashes, and vomiting -- and the terrible toll it took on her husband and children.
"It is difficult when a child is suffering from malaria," says Rachel. "As a mother, you are stuck. You get home [from the clinic], and you have nothing you can do. All that comes to mind is, 'I am waiting for my child to die.'"
Rachel had good reason to worry about her children. "I have seen a lot of people die from malaria," she says somberly.
Thankfully, none of her children died. But they did face consequences far beyond physical illness.
"When they suffered from malaria, they [would] take a minimum of two weeks to heal, and by the time they go back to school, they are left behind," Rachel says.
She knew the source of the problem -- and its solution. Infected mosquitoes that would bite her husband and children while they slept could be stopped with bed nets that cost less than $10 each. But for this struggling family, even the nets were cost-prohibitive.
"It has been a challenging thing to decide whether to buy a net or to buy food for the children," she says. "Of course you choose food, because [with] the little money you have, you just have to buy food for the children," she says, adding that her family can only grow their own food during the rainy season -- and even then, it's not enough.
But thanks to gifts given through World Vision's Gift Catalog, their community received bed nets -- including three for Rachel's family. Now, all of them are protected from malaria-carrying mosquitoes as they sleep.
"This time, we are very much free [from malaria] and my children are healthy," says Rachel. "Even at the clinic they are surprised. They say, 'Mrs. Chuya, you can't be seen here. What's happened?' And I tell them that I have no problems now that I've got the nets."
Lillian, 11, loves sleeping under her net. "I feel more secure because [the mosquitoes] are unable to come and bite us," she says.
And with the nets, the children can again succeed with their education. "Now, I am a proud mother. My children are healthy, and when they go to school, they are getting good results," Rachel says with a smile.
"Thank you so much to the donors who helped me get the mosquito nets. It has been a prayer answered to my household," she adds.
Thank God for bringing Rachel's family healing and relief after a long period of suffering. Pray for other families and communities still affected by deadly malaria, and pray for an end to this preventable, treatable disease.
Make a one-time gift to World Vision's Malaria Eradication Fund. Your donation will triple in impact to fight malaria in Africa with interventions like insecticide-treated bed nets, medical care, prevention education, and more.
Give monthly to help fight malaria around the world. Your monthly contribution will help us provide prevention and treatment against this deadly disease, like bed nets, medical care, prevention education, and more.
Send a message to your members of Congress. Ask them to oppose devastating funding cuts to the International Affairs Budget, which provides life-saving assistance to fight deadly but preventable diseases like malaria.
Please help if you can! Check out www.worldvision.org
By Heidi Isaza and Peter Warski, World Vision U.S.
Rachel Chuya, mother of five in Zambia, remembers her family's battles with malaria.
"Malaria could not end in our household," she says. "It was like we were just exchanging [it]. When my husband suffered from malaria and he got healed, the next person [to get it] was me. When I got healed, the next [were] our children," she remembers.
"It was very painful."
She recalls the symptoms of this terrible disease -- such as fever, chills, yellow eyes, rashes, and vomiting -- and the terrible toll it took on her husband and children.
"It is difficult when a child is suffering from malaria," says Rachel. "As a mother, you are stuck. You get home [from the clinic], and you have nothing you can do. All that comes to mind is, 'I am waiting for my child to die.'"
Rachel had good reason to worry about her children. "I have seen a lot of people die from malaria," she says somberly.
Thankfully, none of her children died. But they did face consequences far beyond physical illness.
"When they suffered from malaria, they [would] take a minimum of two weeks to heal, and by the time they go back to school, they are left behind," Rachel says.
She knew the source of the problem -- and its solution. Infected mosquitoes that would bite her husband and children while they slept could be stopped with bed nets that cost less than $10 each. But for this struggling family, even the nets were cost-prohibitive.
"It has been a challenging thing to decide whether to buy a net or to buy food for the children," she says. "Of course you choose food, because [with] the little money you have, you just have to buy food for the children," she says, adding that her family can only grow their own food during the rainy season -- and even then, it's not enough.
But thanks to gifts given through World Vision's Gift Catalog, their community received bed nets -- including three for Rachel's family. Now, all of them are protected from malaria-carrying mosquitoes as they sleep.
"This time, we are very much free [from malaria] and my children are healthy," says Rachel. "Even at the clinic they are surprised. They say, 'Mrs. Chuya, you can't be seen here. What's happened?' And I tell them that I have no problems now that I've got the nets."
Lillian, 11, loves sleeping under her net. "I feel more secure because [the mosquitoes] are unable to come and bite us," she says.
And with the nets, the children can again succeed with their education. "Now, I am a proud mother. My children are healthy, and when they go to school, they are getting good results," Rachel says with a smile.
"Thank you so much to the donors who helped me get the mosquito nets. It has been a prayer answered to my household," she adds.
Thank God for bringing Rachel's family healing and relief after a long period of suffering. Pray for other families and communities still affected by deadly malaria, and pray for an end to this preventable, treatable disease.
Make a one-time gift to World Vision's Malaria Eradication Fund. Your donation will triple in impact to fight malaria in Africa with interventions like insecticide-treated bed nets, medical care, prevention education, and more.
Give monthly to help fight malaria around the world. Your monthly contribution will help us provide prevention and treatment against this deadly disease, like bed nets, medical care, prevention education, and more.
Send a message to your members of Congress. Ask them to oppose devastating funding cuts to the International Affairs Budget, which provides life-saving assistance to fight deadly but preventable diseases like malaria.
Please help if you can! Check out www.worldvision.org
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
No Facebook
This week I decided to take myself off of Facebook for a few days. Actually it was a challenge from my Relentless journey to become forgotten. The thing I miss most I guess is the fact I couldn’t be a voice for the voiceless as readily as I could have been. Of course, I don’t always post intellectual or spiritual posts by a long shot. However, when something comes to mind to share, I enjoy sharing those thoughts. Facebook can be fun, and it does hold a purpose I suppose: chatting with friends and family that live a far away (or even in the same house-ha!), finding old friends and rebuilding relationships, and of course the games. LOL!!! I was able to figure out how to post something without actually being on Facebook--you may have noticed a couple that I posted on Tuesday.
I may never be in a situation like so many children around the world who find themselves living on the streets, in sewers or in orphan mills. And I will never truly know what it means to be completely hopeless and forgotten. But I can be a voice to those who are.
Do you remember who, on that Christmas night in Bethlehem, was told of Christ’s birth? God chose the shepherds--the forgotten and hopeless. He could have told kings or rulers and religious leaders. But he chose shepherds of all people. Shepherds in New Testament times were often despised because they lived with their flocks day and night. They were thought of as ceremonially unclean and not permitted to enter the temple. They resembled the hopelessness of children on the streets. However, Jesus is our HOPE--the hope for these children.
Do you know of anyone who has been forgotten? Pray for children around the world that feel hopeless and forgotten.
I may never be in a situation like so many children around the world who find themselves living on the streets, in sewers or in orphan mills. And I will never truly know what it means to be completely hopeless and forgotten. But I can be a voice to those who are.
Do you remember who, on that Christmas night in Bethlehem, was told of Christ’s birth? God chose the shepherds--the forgotten and hopeless. He could have told kings or rulers and religious leaders. But he chose shepherds of all people. Shepherds in New Testament times were often despised because they lived with their flocks day and night. They were thought of as ceremonially unclean and not permitted to enter the temple. They resembled the hopelessness of children on the streets. However, Jesus is our HOPE--the hope for these children.
Do you know of anyone who has been forgotten? Pray for children around the world that feel hopeless and forgotten.
25 Hours of Silence
For 25 years, the Lords Resistance Army has been committing terrible atrocities against innocent people in central Africa. After the LRA was driven out of northern Uganda in 2005, they have been occupying some of the most remote and isolated territory in the entire region. They are attacking communities that have virtually no way to communicate to the outside world. The cries of the victims go silent.
Therefore, on April 25th thousands around the world will go silent, to speak out without speaking.
For more information go to www.invisiblechildren.com
Invisible Children will also be on Oprah tomorrow, Wednesday April 20 if you have a chance to watch.
Therefore, on April 25th thousands around the world will go silent, to speak out without speaking.
For more information go to www.invisiblechildren.com
Invisible Children will also be on Oprah tomorrow, Wednesday April 20 if you have a chance to watch.
Monday, April 18, 2011
More Thoughts on Hopeless and Forgotten
Have you ever felt hopeless or forgotten at some time in your life? Do you remember what it felt like? When I was a little girl, maybe first grade, I walked home from school and no one was there. Where had my family gone? Was I forgotten? I felt so alone. I sat on the front porch until my family returned. I felt frightened and knowing me, I probably cried too. I can’t even imagine children on the street that feel all alone, as if no one cared, no one loved them. The orphans living on their own, possibly raising younger siblings instead of attending school or playing with friends--feeling all alone, helpless, hopeless, speechless, voiceless, forgotten, and the list goes on.
The poor and needy search for water,
but there is none;
their tongues are parched with thirst.
But I the LORD will answer them;
I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.
--Isaiah 41:17
Not all of the children on the street choose to be there. They may be kicked out of their homes as Romeo was (previous story), by his stepmother who didn’t want her husband’s children. Perhaps the children can’t be fed or taken care of in the home. Some are sold into slavery, others are on the streets. Maybe, not all children who feel hopeless and forgotten live on the streets. They may live at home and in a family, but for whatever reasons, they still feel forgotten and alone.
Sometimes we may forget; we forget about God or other people in our lives and about ourselves.
For Romeo and each one of us, we can find comfort and peace in knowing God will never leave or forsake us. He will always remember who we are. Even when we feel forgotten or when we fail to remember Him or others around us, remember that God will always be faithful and remain with His people.
(parts of this writing was taken from World Vision act:s Relentless message)
The poor and needy search for water,
but there is none;
their tongues are parched with thirst.
But I the LORD will answer them;
I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.
--Isaiah 41:17
Not all of the children on the street choose to be there. They may be kicked out of their homes as Romeo was (previous story), by his stepmother who didn’t want her husband’s children. Perhaps the children can’t be fed or taken care of in the home. Some are sold into slavery, others are on the streets. Maybe, not all children who feel hopeless and forgotten live on the streets. They may live at home and in a family, but for whatever reasons, they still feel forgotten and alone.
Sometimes we may forget; we forget about God or other people in our lives and about ourselves.
For Romeo and each one of us, we can find comfort and peace in knowing God will never leave or forsake us. He will always remember who we are. Even when we feel forgotten or when we fail to remember Him or others around us, remember that God will always be faithful and remain with His people.
(parts of this writing was taken from World Vision act:s Relentless message)
Sunday, April 17, 2011
End Malaria
Tonight 2,000 children will die from mosquito bites and it's entirely preventable. No child should die from a mosquito bite, and if we work together, no child will. Malaria was wiped out in the U.S. only 60 years ago. It took just 5 years. When made a PRIORITY, malaria can be stopped. Malaria is a deadly disease that threatens half of the world's population. (3 billion people) Each year, approximately 250 million people get infected. That is equal to 83% of the U.S. population. Nearly 750,000 African children die each year from malaria. That is equal to all the children in Florida under age 5.
Since 1950
20 million deaths from all wars
25 million deaths from AIDS
41 (to 65) million child deaths from malaria
Who can help? You and your family! Only $6 will buy an insecticide-treated bed net that will save 2 lives and help kill malaria-carrying mosquitoes.
To combat malaria effectively, the United States must increase its funding to at least $1 billion a year. They passed a law promising to do so, but haven't yet followed through. For information on how to contact your elected leaders to persuade your representative to fund life-saving interventions, visit: www.actstoendmalaria.org.
Millions of lives are depending on us. Pray about how you can get involved.
(information from World Vision act:s--www.actstoendmalaria.org)
Since 1950
20 million deaths from all wars
25 million deaths from AIDS
41 (to 65) million child deaths from malaria
Who can help? You and your family! Only $6 will buy an insecticide-treated bed net that will save 2 lives and help kill malaria-carrying mosquitoes.
To combat malaria effectively, the United States must increase its funding to at least $1 billion a year. They passed a law promising to do so, but haven't yet followed through. For information on how to contact your elected leaders to persuade your representative to fund life-saving interventions, visit: www.actstoendmalaria.org.
Millions of lives are depending on us. Pray about how you can get involved.
(information from World Vision act:s--www.actstoendmalaria.org)
Hopeless & Forgotten
Hopeless: By Gerta Hagen, December 2009
Albania
Street children in Albania are hidden, unseen, ignored. The majority of Albanian society either despises them or doesn’t know that they exist. They are the invisible begging, windshield-washing, can-collecting kids that no one knows about. They often fall prey to recruitment into illicit activities and organized trafficking, both inside the country and abroad.
Romeo* is only one of these street children. He is fifteen years old, even though his frail frame makes him look much younger. He is a little shy, but a very sharp child full of life and dreams.
“There [were] five of us that [slept] in this one room. I had just fallen asleep. You know, I didn’t have any money and so I went out and collected cans,”
Romeo recalled, keeping his eyes downcast as he fiddled with his warm soup - the only meal he was having for the day. “I had a bag full of them right next to my bed. But I guess I got too wet and chilled so I was feeling sick. My friend, he comes in late because he was working in a parking garage. As soon as he stepped in the door, I heard the police screaming right after him.
“The police walked right in the room and started yelling and kicking us and telling us to get down. So I told him that I was sick and I couldn’t go out in the rain because I had a fever. He yelled some more and got us all down with very little clothing on. Then he lined us up in the rain and was asking many questions.
“The police do that every time something bad happens in Blloku**. However, I don’t blame them; they have to do their job too, so whenever they don’t find the ‘real’ guy who did the bad things they harass us. I was telling him, ‘But sir we only collect cans or beg. We have not done anything bad.’ Then someone called him on the radio and then he let us go, after he got us all wet.”
Romeo’s mother fled from the Albanian capital, Tirana, to Greece after being brutally beaten by her husband. Romeo’s father remarried and his stepmother no longer wanted her husband’s children to live with her. Both brothers, then aged 13 and 12 respectively, were forced to leave their home.
“I haven’t gone to school since,” said Romeo, quick to add, “But I didn’t leave because I was a bad student, I had really good grades. I love Math but didn’t do very well in English.”
After Romeo was thrown out onto the street, he tried to flee to Greece, to beg and do other odd jobs.
“We went through the mountains, a group of seven boys; we walked several kilometers a day,” he said. “When we went to Greece I would beg, but then this one time I got so hungry, I hadn’t eaten for two days, so I went and handed myself to the police. They gave me food and sent me back to Tirana.”
Life for children on the street is hard. Their undernourished bodies are frequently exposed to the natural elements. Their human dignity is often destroyed by the heels of passers-by who don’t think twice before hitting or cursing them. Their dreams are crushed by their lack of choices and opportunities.
“But I don’t beg anymore,” said Romeo. “I feel ashamed of myself when I do and even when I collect cans. Sometimes people hit you and curse at you on the street.
“My biggest wish is that my friends and I no longer work on the street. I want to learn computer, play football and learn how to be a plumber. When I have my own family, I am going to make my children go to school. What kind of person doesn’t let children go to school?!” demands Romeo, with a big smile that hints of hope in his dark eyes.
* This story is the true account of a street-working child in Tirana. The name of the child has been changed to protect his identity.
** Blloku is one of the most fashionable neighborhoods in Tirana.
REFLECTION:
We might not know what it’s like to live on the street, but this week we will seek to experience the hopelessness of Romeo’s situation through the lens of being forgotten.
SUGGESTIONS FOR THIS WEEK’S EXPERIENCE:
• Deactivate your Facebook and other social media accounts for the week. Don’t worry; this is not the same as deleting your Facebook account. You can reactivate your account and everything will remain the same. For more information, visit Facebook’s Help Center: https://www.facebook.com/help/?page=842
• Each day this week, go to a different friend’s room and remove everything that is related to you. Keep a pile of the objects in a prominent space in your room and return the objects after the week is over.
If none of the suggested experiences work for you, we encourage you to adjust them or come up with your own. Choose something to commit to while remembering that we are giving up some “hope” for this week by doing something to feel forgotten.
--Written by Jeff Shieh and Derek Tang
Albania
Street children in Albania are hidden, unseen, ignored. The majority of Albanian society either despises them or doesn’t know that they exist. They are the invisible begging, windshield-washing, can-collecting kids that no one knows about. They often fall prey to recruitment into illicit activities and organized trafficking, both inside the country and abroad.
Romeo* is only one of these street children. He is fifteen years old, even though his frail frame makes him look much younger. He is a little shy, but a very sharp child full of life and dreams.
“There [were] five of us that [slept] in this one room. I had just fallen asleep. You know, I didn’t have any money and so I went out and collected cans,”
Romeo recalled, keeping his eyes downcast as he fiddled with his warm soup - the only meal he was having for the day. “I had a bag full of them right next to my bed. But I guess I got too wet and chilled so I was feeling sick. My friend, he comes in late because he was working in a parking garage. As soon as he stepped in the door, I heard the police screaming right after him.
“The police walked right in the room and started yelling and kicking us and telling us to get down. So I told him that I was sick and I couldn’t go out in the rain because I had a fever. He yelled some more and got us all down with very little clothing on. Then he lined us up in the rain and was asking many questions.
“The police do that every time something bad happens in Blloku**. However, I don’t blame them; they have to do their job too, so whenever they don’t find the ‘real’ guy who did the bad things they harass us. I was telling him, ‘But sir we only collect cans or beg. We have not done anything bad.’ Then someone called him on the radio and then he let us go, after he got us all wet.”
Romeo’s mother fled from the Albanian capital, Tirana, to Greece after being brutally beaten by her husband. Romeo’s father remarried and his stepmother no longer wanted her husband’s children to live with her. Both brothers, then aged 13 and 12 respectively, were forced to leave their home.
“I haven’t gone to school since,” said Romeo, quick to add, “But I didn’t leave because I was a bad student, I had really good grades. I love Math but didn’t do very well in English.”
After Romeo was thrown out onto the street, he tried to flee to Greece, to beg and do other odd jobs.
“We went through the mountains, a group of seven boys; we walked several kilometers a day,” he said. “When we went to Greece I would beg, but then this one time I got so hungry, I hadn’t eaten for two days, so I went and handed myself to the police. They gave me food and sent me back to Tirana.”
Life for children on the street is hard. Their undernourished bodies are frequently exposed to the natural elements. Their human dignity is often destroyed by the heels of passers-by who don’t think twice before hitting or cursing them. Their dreams are crushed by their lack of choices and opportunities.
“But I don’t beg anymore,” said Romeo. “I feel ashamed of myself when I do and even when I collect cans. Sometimes people hit you and curse at you on the street.
“My biggest wish is that my friends and I no longer work on the street. I want to learn computer, play football and learn how to be a plumber. When I have my own family, I am going to make my children go to school. What kind of person doesn’t let children go to school?!” demands Romeo, with a big smile that hints of hope in his dark eyes.
* This story is the true account of a street-working child in Tirana. The name of the child has been changed to protect his identity.
** Blloku is one of the most fashionable neighborhoods in Tirana.
REFLECTION:
We might not know what it’s like to live on the street, but this week we will seek to experience the hopelessness of Romeo’s situation through the lens of being forgotten.
SUGGESTIONS FOR THIS WEEK’S EXPERIENCE:
• Deactivate your Facebook and other social media accounts for the week. Don’t worry; this is not the same as deleting your Facebook account. You can reactivate your account and everything will remain the same. For more information, visit Facebook’s Help Center: https://www.facebook.com/help/?page=842
• Each day this week, go to a different friend’s room and remove everything that is related to you. Keep a pile of the objects in a prominent space in your room and return the objects after the week is over.
If none of the suggested experiences work for you, we encourage you to adjust them or come up with your own. Choose something to commit to while remembering that we are giving up some “hope” for this week by doing something to feel forgotten.
--Written by Jeff Shieh and Derek Tang
Speechless--the Conclusion
Speechless: The Response by Youra Soeum, October 2010
One day, Ka planned and executed a daring plan to escape from her brothel prison: she traded a condom for a cell phone. “I told him, I will not use the condom, but you have to exchange something for me. Would you please let me use your mobile phone?’” she said.
Ka passed the cell phone to one of the other girls, then bravely performed her “duties” while one of the other girls called the police. Two days later, they came.
“I was very, very happy. We felt like we have a new day,” said Ka.
This time things were different. Instead of simply being put out on the street, Ka was taken to World Vision’s Trauma Recovery Project, also known as the Neavear Thmey--the “New Ship“--where they could start a new journey.
Ka is just one of more than 800 girls and women who have gone through World Vision’s Trauma Recovery Program. She received physical, psychological and spiritual counseling as well as job skills training so that when she leaves the center she will have skills that can help her get a real job.
Things have changed a lot for Ka, now 20. “I have become more mature. I can think about things different now. I can see light coming into my life and I can think about the future,” she said with a smile. “I would like to have a small house, living with my husband. I am sure I will work in sewing things. I could even teach the other [girls] in the community how to sew.”
After several unfortunate cycles, Ka was able to break free from the ring of child prostitution and the Cambodian sex industry, thanks to the help of World Vision. Unfortunately, many girls are not so fortunate. “We are only touching the tip of the iceberg with these kids,” said Joshua Pepall, Technical Advisor to World Vision’s Trauma Recovery Project. “There are kids sitting in brothels because all of the shelters are full. We can’t raid them. We can’t remove them because they’ve got nowhere to go. All the centers are maxed out.”
One day, Ka planned and executed a daring plan to escape from her brothel prison: she traded a condom for a cell phone. “I told him, I will not use the condom, but you have to exchange something for me. Would you please let me use your mobile phone?’” she said.
Ka passed the cell phone to one of the other girls, then bravely performed her “duties” while one of the other girls called the police. Two days later, they came.
“I was very, very happy. We felt like we have a new day,” said Ka.
This time things were different. Instead of simply being put out on the street, Ka was taken to World Vision’s Trauma Recovery Project, also known as the Neavear Thmey--the “New Ship“--where they could start a new journey.
Ka is just one of more than 800 girls and women who have gone through World Vision’s Trauma Recovery Program. She received physical, psychological and spiritual counseling as well as job skills training so that when she leaves the center she will have skills that can help her get a real job.
Things have changed a lot for Ka, now 20. “I have become more mature. I can think about things different now. I can see light coming into my life and I can think about the future,” she said with a smile. “I would like to have a small house, living with my husband. I am sure I will work in sewing things. I could even teach the other [girls] in the community how to sew.”
After several unfortunate cycles, Ka was able to break free from the ring of child prostitution and the Cambodian sex industry, thanks to the help of World Vision. Unfortunately, many girls are not so fortunate. “We are only touching the tip of the iceberg with these kids,” said Joshua Pepall, Technical Advisor to World Vision’s Trauma Recovery Project. “There are kids sitting in brothels because all of the shelters are full. We can’t raid them. We can’t remove them because they’ve got nowhere to go. All the centers are maxed out.”
Sunday, April 10, 2011
SPEECHLESS
In this week’s story, a Cambodian girl finds herself utterly “speechless”: no one listens to her pleas for mercy, no one ever responds to her cries for help, and absolutely no one cares about her rights to freedom and respect as a human being.
Speechless: By Heidi Isaza, February 2010
Cambodia
“My parents were so poor. When I was young, we didn’t even have a house. [We] used to sleep on the street sometimes. Sometimes I slept under the pergola. Sometimes I slept by a nearby grave,” she remembered.
Ka is one of four children. Instead of starting school at age 5, like other children, she started helping her siblings scavenge for cans and other waste that could be recycled and beg for money on the streets. “I help a lot with my mom to find money to support the family. When there was a wedding in the village we would go and beg for the beer cans to sell them,” she said.
As they grew older, Ka’s older brothers got more formal jobs in manufacturing plants but as they formed their own families, their ability to financially support their parents and younger siblings diminished. As a result, Ka felt the need to also find a more formal job that would provide her with greater income. “I left home when I was 16 because of the poverty,” she said. “I left to the Thai border because one of my friends told me that if you go to work over there, you will earn a lot of money. So, I went.”
She started off working in a karaoke club, which are often used as fronts for brothels. Ka wasn’t completely sure what was happening behind the scenes. “I could see many things. It was very complicated,” she said. “I worked as the girl who sold the beer. Some men would touch my body, some men would kiss me,” she said, looking down.
The men who visited the club would often offer—even force—her to drink. After just two weeks she ended up unconscious in the hospital. She decided to leave that club and look for another job. She found one, at another club. “The owner was a man and he was a creepy guy. He wanted me to sleep with him, but I didn’t want to,” she said. “I remember one customer came in, he was Cambodian, and [the owner] asked me to go and sleep with him. When I went to sleep with the guy, I had the opportunity to escape.”
Alone and unemployed once again Ka was approached by a woman. “She asked me, ‘You want a job? You want to work?’ I said, ‘Yes, as long as it is a place with no alcohol and there’s no violence,’” Ka said. The woman took her to lunch and then told her to lie down and take a nap. “I asked her what my role would look like and she didn’t say anything,” Ka went on. “The woman just left me alone. I didn’t know at that time it was a brothel.”
It didn’t take her long, however, to find out. “At that time, I was very young and I didn’t really understand the process. The first day that I came, they bought me a lot of nice clothes,” she said. “It was quite late [when we got back] and there were some guys. They asked, ‘Are there any new girls?’”
The owner said yes and pointed to Ka. “The one in the black t-shirt, she’s a new girl,” the woman responded.
After two days, when Ka realized she was in a brothel, she got up the courage to try to leave, only to find out that according to her “employer” she owed them 25,000 Cambodian Reil, an amount that to her represented a lot of money. She owed about $6.
Ka worked in forced prostitution, serving between five and ten men per night, for more than two years to try to pay of her “debt” before the brothel was raided by the police and the girls were set free.
After two years of forced prostitution, Ka found herself unemployed, alone and on the street—again. “I didn’t have any chance. I didn’t have a job. I didn’t have anywhere to go,” she explained. She was, again, convinced to work in another brothel. This time, however, it was worse.
“When I was in the second brothel, I could see the sunlight, but I could never see the sun,” she said. She and the other girls were never even allowed to leave the building. As if that was not enough, they beat the girls regularly. “I was afraid of my employer. I can remember one time when I was pregnant, the owner told me to do the abortion and I didn’t want to, so they said, ‘If you don’t want to do it, let me do it for you.’ It was very hurtful,” she said. Two weeks later, they beat her up again.
Ka’s hopes for her future were extinguished in that brothel, like a plant that never receives sunlight, she wilted on the inside. “I didn’t even think about future. All I could think about was that I would be dead someday because I wasn’t allowed to go out, I wasn’t allowed to see my family and I was always threatened,” she said.
No matter how hard Ka and the other girls “worked” they could never pay off their debts, especially as they were constantly forced to use drugs. “They gave me drugs because if I don’t take the drugs, I could not do it. I don’t have enough energy to work,” she explained.
REFLECTION:
Ka faced some horrible experiences that oppressed her ability to determine the course of her own life. Do you know what it is like to be speechless?
SUGGESTIONS FOR THIS WEEK’S EXPERIENCE:
• Give up your personal decisions / opinions for a week—choose a friend to make all those decisions for you.
• Give up electronics that are not critical for school or work—isolate yourself from all forms of communication and means of contacting the outside world.
• Do not speak about anything not critical to school or work. A variation of this can be to duct tape your mouth shut every day.
Feel free to modify these suggestions as you feel fit, and if none of these suggested experiences work for you, we encourage you to come up with your own creative way of experiencing the lack of control over your own life.
Speechless: By Heidi Isaza, February 2010
Cambodia
“My parents were so poor. When I was young, we didn’t even have a house. [We] used to sleep on the street sometimes. Sometimes I slept under the pergola. Sometimes I slept by a nearby grave,” she remembered.
Ka is one of four children. Instead of starting school at age 5, like other children, she started helping her siblings scavenge for cans and other waste that could be recycled and beg for money on the streets. “I help a lot with my mom to find money to support the family. When there was a wedding in the village we would go and beg for the beer cans to sell them,” she said.
As they grew older, Ka’s older brothers got more formal jobs in manufacturing plants but as they formed their own families, their ability to financially support their parents and younger siblings diminished. As a result, Ka felt the need to also find a more formal job that would provide her with greater income. “I left home when I was 16 because of the poverty,” she said. “I left to the Thai border because one of my friends told me that if you go to work over there, you will earn a lot of money. So, I went.”
She started off working in a karaoke club, which are often used as fronts for brothels. Ka wasn’t completely sure what was happening behind the scenes. “I could see many things. It was very complicated,” she said. “I worked as the girl who sold the beer. Some men would touch my body, some men would kiss me,” she said, looking down.
The men who visited the club would often offer—even force—her to drink. After just two weeks she ended up unconscious in the hospital. She decided to leave that club and look for another job. She found one, at another club. “The owner was a man and he was a creepy guy. He wanted me to sleep with him, but I didn’t want to,” she said. “I remember one customer came in, he was Cambodian, and [the owner] asked me to go and sleep with him. When I went to sleep with the guy, I had the opportunity to escape.”
Alone and unemployed once again Ka was approached by a woman. “She asked me, ‘You want a job? You want to work?’ I said, ‘Yes, as long as it is a place with no alcohol and there’s no violence,’” Ka said. The woman took her to lunch and then told her to lie down and take a nap. “I asked her what my role would look like and she didn’t say anything,” Ka went on. “The woman just left me alone. I didn’t know at that time it was a brothel.”
It didn’t take her long, however, to find out. “At that time, I was very young and I didn’t really understand the process. The first day that I came, they bought me a lot of nice clothes,” she said. “It was quite late [when we got back] and there were some guys. They asked, ‘Are there any new girls?’”
The owner said yes and pointed to Ka. “The one in the black t-shirt, she’s a new girl,” the woman responded.
After two days, when Ka realized she was in a brothel, she got up the courage to try to leave, only to find out that according to her “employer” she owed them 25,000 Cambodian Reil, an amount that to her represented a lot of money. She owed about $6.
Ka worked in forced prostitution, serving between five and ten men per night, for more than two years to try to pay of her “debt” before the brothel was raided by the police and the girls were set free.
After two years of forced prostitution, Ka found herself unemployed, alone and on the street—again. “I didn’t have any chance. I didn’t have a job. I didn’t have anywhere to go,” she explained. She was, again, convinced to work in another brothel. This time, however, it was worse.
“When I was in the second brothel, I could see the sunlight, but I could never see the sun,” she said. She and the other girls were never even allowed to leave the building. As if that was not enough, they beat the girls regularly. “I was afraid of my employer. I can remember one time when I was pregnant, the owner told me to do the abortion and I didn’t want to, so they said, ‘If you don’t want to do it, let me do it for you.’ It was very hurtful,” she said. Two weeks later, they beat her up again.
Ka’s hopes for her future were extinguished in that brothel, like a plant that never receives sunlight, she wilted on the inside. “I didn’t even think about future. All I could think about was that I would be dead someday because I wasn’t allowed to go out, I wasn’t allowed to see my family and I was always threatened,” she said.
No matter how hard Ka and the other girls “worked” they could never pay off their debts, especially as they were constantly forced to use drugs. “They gave me drugs because if I don’t take the drugs, I could not do it. I don’t have enough energy to work,” she explained.
REFLECTION:
Ka faced some horrible experiences that oppressed her ability to determine the course of her own life. Do you know what it is like to be speechless?
SUGGESTIONS FOR THIS WEEK’S EXPERIENCE:
• Give up your personal decisions / opinions for a week—choose a friend to make all those decisions for you.
• Give up electronics that are not critical for school or work—isolate yourself from all forms of communication and means of contacting the outside world.
• Do not speak about anything not critical to school or work. A variation of this can be to duct tape your mouth shut every day.
Feel free to modify these suggestions as you feel fit, and if none of these suggested experiences work for you, we encourage you to come up with your own creative way of experiencing the lack of control over your own life.
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Godless--The Conclusion
Last week I posted a story from World Vision about Shimelis who was persecuted for his faith in Ethiopia. Here is the conclusion of his story. Though the government thought they could stop the spread of Christianity in their country--God had other plans.
Godless: The Response
By Kari Costanza, July 2009
As the government changed in Ethopia, the prisoners were freed. The church kept growing. Persecution hadn’t been able to stop it. “In the face of persecution,” says Shimelis, who had suffered much in the name of Christianity, “the Christians continued to emerge. People came to Jesus even in the face of persecution.” The church became harder to manage when there was freedom. “There wasn’t adequate administration,” says Shimelis.
Now Shimelis works to keep Christianity thriving in Ethiopia. His time in prison shaped and strengthened him. But one memory he looks on fondly. “While we were in prison, we continued to preach,” he says. “We got 46 people believing in Jesus—including policemen!”
Shimelis’ work is supported by World Vision, especially in the area of community care. World Vision has trained his Hope Team—volunteers who counsel the sick. They use money from the church budget to provide people living with HIV and AIDS with food and support. And each member contributes one Ethiopian Birr a month toward the fund. World Vision gives them material support as well.
Godless: The Response
By Kari Costanza, July 2009
As the government changed in Ethopia, the prisoners were freed. The church kept growing. Persecution hadn’t been able to stop it. “In the face of persecution,” says Shimelis, who had suffered much in the name of Christianity, “the Christians continued to emerge. People came to Jesus even in the face of persecution.” The church became harder to manage when there was freedom. “There wasn’t adequate administration,” says Shimelis.
Now Shimelis works to keep Christianity thriving in Ethiopia. His time in prison shaped and strengthened him. But one memory he looks on fondly. “While we were in prison, we continued to preach,” he says. “We got 46 people believing in Jesus—including policemen!”
Shimelis’ work is supported by World Vision, especially in the area of community care. World Vision has trained his Hope Team—volunteers who counsel the sick. They use money from the church budget to provide people living with HIV and AIDS with food and support. And each member contributes one Ethiopian Birr a month toward the fund. World Vision gives them material support as well.
Friday, April 8, 2011
Be the Change
I love reading stories of young people who want to change their world. I've posted about the young boy, Austin Gutwein" who started "Hoops for Hope" (Take Your Best Shot) and the young abolitionist, Zach Hunter (Be the Change). I just read a blog the other day about Mikaela in California who raises money for children with cancer and helps other non-profits working to eradicate poverty, human trafficking, world hunger, and infant mortality. Today I was reminded of another young girl, at the age of 10 who decided to bring hope to the children in the Kibera slums of Kenya by raising funds for education. Every year she holds a 5k run in Nashville with other cultural activities throughout the park. To date, $275,000 has been raised since 2004. I sit back and wonder, "What have I been doing with my life?" I've been asking myself that question for some time now, waiting for an answer. Maybe I should just get up and do something. Something that has been on my mind for years actually. Be the Change is what I want to be.
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Barefootin'
Yes, I kept my shoes off all day. At times the ground was cold and I’d step out into the sun. They were even cold at night on the wood floor.
This years Barefoot Day was similar to last years and the year before. Cory, Charley and I set out, barefoot, for town. I stopped off at the library to make copies of a flyer I had written up to pass out, informing people of TOMS One for One campaign. I had no trouble from the librarian. Next we stopped off at Publix (grocery store) to go to the bank and pick up a drink. No problems. Off we went to downtown Franklin. We did see one other person with no shoes. We stopped in to a couple of stores and we were asked why we weren’t wearing shoes. Once they were told they thought that was great so didn’t have a problem with our barefeet, even at Starbucks (Charley had to go in for his free cup of coffee.) A lady at the carpet store told Charley he could use the change from his carpet squares to buy some shoes. Ha! We decided to eat at Mellow Mushroom (pizza parlor) but asked permission before we went in. The hostess was nice enough to seat us, looking the other way.
By the end of our outing my feet were quite dirty and a little sore. However, I was fortunate enough to have warm, running water to wash my feet off when I got home, unlike many children around the world. Then at the end of the day, I could turn up the heat in my comfortable house, put on my cozy slippers, or tuck myself into a soft, cozy bed with 3 warm blankets to keep my feet warm. Yes, I have it much too easy. And I’ll probably take some of these things for granted from time to time, but I will definitely try to remember the many children around the world that have no shoes.
Monday, April 4, 2011
National Barefoot Day!
Tuesday, April 5, is National Barefoot Day! We’re going barefoot--how about you?
This is a simple day with a powerful message. There are thousands of people all over the world that have never had a pair of shoes while so many of us have several. Just take one day and walk in their footsteps. Go barefoot and experience life as they do.
Fact #1: Growing Up Without Shoes: In many developing countries, children must walk barefoot for miles to school, clean water and medical help.
Fact #2: Injury & Disease: Hundreds of millions of children are at risk of injury, infection and soil-transmitted diseases that most can’t afford to prevent and treat.
Fact #3: Education & Opportunity: Children who are healthy are more likely to be successful students, and access to education is a critical determinant of long-term success.
Fact #4: A Better Tomorrow: Healthy, educated children have a better chance of improving the future of their entire community.
In regions of Ethiopia, wearing shoes and practicing good hygiene can prevent podoconiosis, a disease that causes swelling of the feet and legs due to prolonged exposure to irritant soil. In Addis Ababa, Ethiopia’s capital,
In 2006, American traveler Blake Mycoskie befriended children in Argentina
and found they had no shoes to protect their feet. Wanting to help, he created TOMS Shoes, a company that would match every pair of shoes purchased with a pair of new shoes given to a child in need. One for One. Blake returned to Argentina with a group of family, friends and staff later that year with 10,000 pairs of shoes made possible by TOMS customers.
Tom’s partners work with HIV positive and street children, giving shoes to protect them from the dangerous city streets littered with glass, metal, and even sewage.
As of September 2010, TOMS has given over one million pairs of new shoes
to children in need through Giving Partners around the world.
SEE YOU ON THE STREET--IN YOUR BARE FEET!
Sunday, April 3, 2011
GODLESS
By Kari Costanza, July 2009
Ethiopia
Shimelis Hapte, 43, has seen persecution and has lived to tell about it, but the memories make him cry. He knew as a child that he wanted to serve the Lord. In 1984, the Holy Spirit came upon him while he was in prayer. “I was born again at that time,” he says. “I was very happy.” But that happiness was not to last.
“Starting from 1984,” he says, “the government was opposing Christian life. They tried to destroy it. They took everything—our Bibles, musical instruments, our spiritual books. They took it by force and put Christians in prison.
“I hid to worship. If two people together were reading a Bible, they were arrested and sent to prison. We hid ourselves and joined with underground churches. Especially at night.”
In 1990, Shimelis was caught worshipping. He was imprisoned. “They ordered us to take off our shoes. They tied us together with rope. Our feet were scraped and bleeding. They took us to the police. First they asked about Christianity. They asked us to deny Jesus Christ. None of us did. We passed by the police. They beat us with sticks, one by one. It was painful.”
Shimelis and 15 others were held in a 2-by-2 meter (6.5-by-6.5 foot) room. “People slept on top of people. We were interlocked. After one week we went to the big prison. It was like a concentration camp. Worms entered our skin. Flies got into our legs. And there were lice. One night we counted the number of lice on me—there were 78. In the morning, the lice marched away like marching ants. People died from disease. They cooked our food in rusted metal dishes. Our hands were covered in rashes.” The prisoners included Shimelis’ future wife, Atakilt. Her face still bears the scars of persecution. Her right eye droops where she was beaten during those terrible times.
REFLECTION:
This week we will put away our resources and freedom to worship publicly as we experience what it’s like to be “godless” with the persecuted church.
SUGGESTIONS FOR THIS WEEK’S EXPERIENCE:
• Hide or put away all signs and symbols of religion in your room, including your Bible
• Hand copy a page of the Bible and use only this page as your Scripture for the entire week
• Don’t attend any religious services or meetings for the week
As always, you can adjust these experiences or come up with your own. Commit to one, remembering that we are trying to step into what it would feel like to be unable to have access to spiritual resources (in Shimelis’ case, it was lack of the resource of freedom to be a Christian and worship).
Also, listen and ask God to speak to you in new ways this week as you leave behind some of the normal means through which you might hear Him. Consider how believers all over the world have a life-changing relationship with Christ even though they may not have Bibles, worship bands, and public meetings. Ask God to challenge and grow your knowledge of Him and faith in Him as He does theirs.
--Written by Sarah Brubaker
Ethiopia
Shimelis Hapte, 43, has seen persecution and has lived to tell about it, but the memories make him cry. He knew as a child that he wanted to serve the Lord. In 1984, the Holy Spirit came upon him while he was in prayer. “I was born again at that time,” he says. “I was very happy.” But that happiness was not to last.
“Starting from 1984,” he says, “the government was opposing Christian life. They tried to destroy it. They took everything—our Bibles, musical instruments, our spiritual books. They took it by force and put Christians in prison.
“I hid to worship. If two people together were reading a Bible, they were arrested and sent to prison. We hid ourselves and joined with underground churches. Especially at night.”
In 1990, Shimelis was caught worshipping. He was imprisoned. “They ordered us to take off our shoes. They tied us together with rope. Our feet were scraped and bleeding. They took us to the police. First they asked about Christianity. They asked us to deny Jesus Christ. None of us did. We passed by the police. They beat us with sticks, one by one. It was painful.”
Shimelis and 15 others were held in a 2-by-2 meter (6.5-by-6.5 foot) room. “People slept on top of people. We were interlocked. After one week we went to the big prison. It was like a concentration camp. Worms entered our skin. Flies got into our legs. And there were lice. One night we counted the number of lice on me—there were 78. In the morning, the lice marched away like marching ants. People died from disease. They cooked our food in rusted metal dishes. Our hands were covered in rashes.” The prisoners included Shimelis’ future wife, Atakilt. Her face still bears the scars of persecution. Her right eye droops where she was beaten during those terrible times.
REFLECTION:
This week we will put away our resources and freedom to worship publicly as we experience what it’s like to be “godless” with the persecuted church.
SUGGESTIONS FOR THIS WEEK’S EXPERIENCE:
• Hide or put away all signs and symbols of religion in your room, including your Bible
• Hand copy a page of the Bible and use only this page as your Scripture for the entire week
• Don’t attend any religious services or meetings for the week
As always, you can adjust these experiences or come up with your own. Commit to one, remembering that we are trying to step into what it would feel like to be unable to have access to spiritual resources (in Shimelis’ case, it was lack of the resource of freedom to be a Christian and worship).
Also, listen and ask God to speak to you in new ways this week as you leave behind some of the normal means through which you might hear Him. Consider how believers all over the world have a life-changing relationship with Christ even though they may not have Bibles, worship bands, and public meetings. Ask God to challenge and grow your knowledge of Him and faith in Him as He does theirs.
--Written by Sarah Brubaker
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
