The Issue
One of the most profitable forms of modern slavery is human trafficking. In many regions of the world where poverty and low education are prevalent, there are no lack of victims, as well as accomplices and perpetrators to keep this business running.
At the peak of slavery, in 1809, the inflation-adjusted amount for a slave was $40,000, now it is just $90. A human life is available at a discounted price.
Cheaply bought or sold, used, abused and easily thrown away. Since a girl can be “sold” hundreds of times, the profits for traffickers are enormous. In Thailand, this illegal business constitutes 10% of the money spent by tourists in the country.
Photo Credtis: Wiki Commons
The victims are girls who are abused and forced into prostitution. These are often young women from the poorest regions in the east (Isaan) or from the minority hill tribes in the mountains, such as, “Karen” or “Shan”.
The Karen and Shan are persecuted by the military dictatorship in Myanmar, which forces the people to take refuge in the mountain regions of Thailand. However, the Thai government does not recognize the minorities as refugees, and they are even considered illegal. Thus, these stateless refugees have no claim to education, health care or employment, which means continued impoverishment.
It is the girls and women of the mountain tribes, who suffer the most from poverty and many of them end up sexually exploited.
A common trick is to promise the girls a job in the prosperous cities of Thailand, for example as a assistant worker in a hotel. Without knowledge of the Thai laguage and with the hope of earning a little money for the family, they leave for their nightmare. After suffering brutal voilence against their own being, and threats, such as killing their families, the girls are forced to sell their bodies.
Photo Credtis: Flickr
A place of security and future
The Chai Lai Orchid Eco Resort near Chiang Mai and the Daughters Risingcharity organization were created to provide shelter and a future to girls who are facing this fate.
In addition to rescuing girls from sexual predation and providing a safe accomodation, Daughters Rising is uniquely focused in prevention, working with young girls to provide them educational opportunities.
Every year young hill tribe mothers, women and girls participate in courses in English, Thai, computer literacy, mental wellbeing and health, among others. As part of the Daughters Rising curriculum, the girls also learn about social justice and human rights; slowly assuring them that they are not the property of anyone else and are solely in control of their own destinies.
All of the girls in the Daughters Rising program are also trained and employed as hospitality staff or trekking guides at the Chai Lai Orchid, allowing them the valuable opportunity to simultaneously learn and earn money for their families or their own lives.
The Chai Lai Orchid and Daughters Rising pay all of the costs of education, medical care, food and shelter for the girls in the program. In addition, a fair salary is paid to the employees.
Building self confidence and a sense of security
Often, the girls who live and work at the Chai Lai Orchid Resort have been victims of violence against their bodies or threats of physical violence to keep their self-esteem small and to keep them locked in a place of fear, so that they can continue to perform and be trafficked.
With their self-confidence all but destroyed, a sense of security and self-assertion has to be rebuilt.
When I visited Chai Lai, I immediately agreed upon being asked, to teach the girls in Muay Thai or self-defense.
Due to the questions in my first lesson, I realized directly that some of the women were victims of violence.
The reactions after the class were so positive, that I have decided to teach there for several weeks in June, as I consider martial arts and self defense as one of the best methods to build self confidence.
Unfortunately, I will not be able to offer regular hours after my stay in June because the Chai Lai Orchid is quite far away from where I currenly live..
Therefore, in cooperation with Daughters Rising and the Chai Lai Orchid Resort, I would like to ask for donations in order to enable the girls to continue to attend regular self-defense courses in Chiang Mai.
Unfortunately, these are relatively expensive and the provider also does not allow a group discount. The cost is 500 Baht (about 14 €) per person per class. With approximately 15 people, who find refuge at the Chai Lai 7,500 Baht (about 200 €) for a group hour can not be realized without your help.
As you can imagine, while one hour is a start, it is not sufficient and requires a longer process of learning the fundamentals of self-defense to build a certain level self-confidence again.
I will be voluntarily teaching daily for two or three weeks in June. In addition, we want to create as much support as possible, with your help.
Every cent counts! Give what you can and what you want to give. Also sharing this donation call in your social media like Facebook, Instagram etc. will help us a lot. Join us in building these girls into self-confident women who can look forward to a bright future without anxiety and assert themselves as leaders in this world.
We accept your donation with gratitude by Paypal or money transfer.
MONEY TRANSFER
Account Owner: Christoph Hoffmann
IBAN: DE66 1203 0000 1035 7200 34
BIC: BYLADEM1001
Subject: Daughters Rising
PAYPAL
Account Owner: Christoph Hoffmann
E-Mail: ch3051s@gmail.com
Subject: Daughters Rising
In my name, in the name of Daughters Rising and Chai Lai Orchid and of course, especially in the name of the women and girls there, we would like to thank you very much for your good heart, as well as for your donation!
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