April 2021 Impact Report
Cebu Sanctuary
This month, we were thrilled to welcome our first cohort of 5 young women escaping human trafficking into our brand new Cebu Sanctuary in the Philippines. After a year of uncertainty, closures, and setbacks, this opening is a testament to the amazing team we have and the ongoing support of our community. Our Sanctuary Director, Ancin, said, “Everything was just so challenging, from the transportation right down to visiting Government offices for our permissions!”
The Cebu Sanctuary is a collaborative endeavour that is only possible through strong partnerships with local organizations, 10Thousand Windows and Good Shepherd. Partnerships are necessary to meet the complex needs and challenges of trauma that survivors of human trafficking face and to provide them with a pathway to freedom.
The victims of human trafficking that 10Thousand Windows serves grew up in desperate poverty and had no choice but to leave school early to find work to help their families pay the bills. They were promised an exciting job with a dream-come-true salary. But instead of paying for college, buying a house and saving for the future, they were exploited, abused, and violated. This cycle of exploitation is not unique to Cebu, and data from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime shows that economic need is the most common vulnerability that traffickers take advantage of to prey on victims.
Though anti-trafficking organizations have been working for over a decade in Cebu, survivors of human trafficking still struggle to reintegrate into society. International Sanctuary’s program will be critical for the success of survivors and the completion of the rescue, rehabilitate, reintegrate model of collaborative partners in Cebu. Through meaningful employment, girls will obtain job training, employment, and economic freedom, to address the source of vulnerabilities, namely economic need. Our program uses a trauma-informed approach to ensure that we understand the impact of trauma on the young women in our program. It is with this understanding that we create a safe, empowering, collaborative space that is considerate of individuals needs and goals as is appropriate to a professional workplace.
We are starting with only 5 young women and dedicating our first three months to assessments and community building while we evaluate the pathways available and build individual development plans for each woman. We value the individuality and uniqueness of every woman and will walk alongside them as they embrace the dignity and worth in their own lives.
“What a lovely and contemporary concrete response to survivors of human trafficking as they reintegrate to society's mainstream” - Sr. Virgo from Good Shepherd
Crisis in India
Our Sanctuary in Mumbai, India is temporarily closed in response to the ever growing crisis surrounding COVID-19 in India. Sick people are being turned away from hospitals that have run out of beds and oxygen, as the number of new cases rises to record levels each day, creating a national crisis with the potential for global repercussions.
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime brief on the effects of COVID-19 on human trafficking reports that “dramatic increases in unemployment and reductions in income, especially for low wage and informal sector workers, mean that significant numbers of people who were already vulnerable find themselves in even more precarious circumstances.” Victims are also more exposed to contracting the virus, less equipped to prevent it, and have less access to healthcare to ensure their recovery.
With no clear end in sight, we must be prepared to meet the growing crisis as men, women, and children throughout India face devastating conditions that traffickers are ready and willing to exploit.
Sanctuary Highlights
Global Community Calls. Our Kampala & Mumbai teams continue to build community over global calls. This month, Provia* co-lead the call and asked everyone to "share 2 things that someone does that make you feel loved and vice versa?" It was a great conversation topic and afterwards Provia shared that she really enjoyed leading an activity.
Nutrition Workshop Graduation. Our team in Tijuana completed their nutrition workshop. It was a simple but beautiful gathering in which each one of the women shared their gratitude to be able to be part of this experience and learn more about nutrition and ecology.
Office Closure in Mumbai. We have temporarily closed our Mumbai Sanctuary once again in response to the ever growing devastated due to the COVID-19 crisis in India.
Miles with Purpose
Thank you to all who joined Miles with Purpose to raise awareness and funds for survivors of human trafficking! We have loved seeing all of your photos and videos. Take a look at some of the fun ways our global community participated below.
Hope Partner
Walk alongside the young women in our stories, like Provia, everyday when you become a hope partner. Starting at $10 a month, your partnership helps shine a beacon of light towards freedom for young women around the world.
