An Update from the Red-Light Area: Hope, Healing, and New Life
It is difficult to fully explain or even comprehend the work we do in the red-light area. Last year, we were able to purchase our own building—right in the middle of an area where approximately 1,200 women are being exploited and trafficked. This building was once one of the very places where women were trafficked from. God has redeemed this space, and now it stands as a place of hope, healing, and new beginnings.
The average age a girl is trafficked here is just nine years old. Most of the women we work with today are in their 20s and 30s. By the time we are able to reach them, they are considered “old” and “used up” by the industry, and many have completely lost hope. Because of their age, we are often able to have access to them. Most of the women can be visited where they live and work, and many have the freedom to walk to our center to receive the services we provide.
Our main goal is to share the love of Christ and help women leave the red-light district to find respectable, sustainable work so they can support themselves and their children. We do this by first building trust. If we simply walked in and told them we could get them a job and take them somewhere better, why would they believe us? Many were given that same promise when they were first brought to the red-light district. Trust and relationship must be built over time.
This trust goes both ways. Our staff must also be wise and discerning, as there are times when women may not be honest or may try to get our staff into trouble. This work requires prayer, patience, and great care.
I would like to share some specifics about what we do each week, along with a few accomplishments from last month.
We average 35 women each week in our worship and prayer services. These times are always very special for both our staff and the women. Last month, we celebrated exciting news—two women became believers in Jesus!
We are currently counseling two women who are considering leaving the red-light area. Please pray for them, as this is a very frightening and uncertain step.
Last month, two women also received legal identification. Imagine not having a birth certificate or any form of ID to prove that you even exist. Our staff worked through this long and difficult process with them, and it is incredibly exciting when it happens. Identification is essential for everyday life—you cannot go to school, get a job, rent a home, or receive government assistance without it. Because many women were trafficked at such a young age, this is often their first step toward freedom and stability.
We also offer literacy classes, which are among our most attended programs. Many of the women were never allowed to attend school and do not know how to read or write—not even how to write their own name. We currently have 27 women learning to read and write for the very first time in their lives. They work incredibly hard, and we are so proud of them.
In addition, we offer vocational training. At this time, 16 women are enrolled in our beauty school program, and 11 women are enrolled in our sewing program.
Everything we do is designed to move the women forward in a positive, Christ-centered way—equipping and enabling them to succeed outside of a life of exploitation.
“Thank you” feels so small compared to the gratitude we have for your support. Without you, we could not do the work that we do.
Blessings, Vicki