I feel like I’m home. I feel like I’ve finally found my
place, my calling, my passion. We have been in Phuket, Thailand for about 1 1/2
weeks now working with SHE (Self-Help and Empowerment) and I love it here. Every
day is different, but every night we go out into the bars and talk to the
women. We hear their stories and we offer them a way out if they want it. On Bangla
Road alone there are over 200 bars where young women dance on poles and sell
themselves to strangers night after night. Most of these women feel that they
have no choice; they need the money to send back to their families.
place, my calling, my passion. We have been in Phuket, Thailand for about 1 1/2
weeks now working with SHE (Self-Help and Empowerment) and I love it here. Every
day is different, but every night we go out into the bars and talk to the
women. We hear their stories and we offer them a way out if they want it. On Bangla
Road alone there are over 200 bars where young women dance on poles and sell
themselves to strangers night after night. Most of these women feel that they
have no choice; they need the money to send back to their families.
They are completely alone. They are completely broken.
One woman I met, and have now become friends with, told me
that if she wants a night off she has to pay the bar 500 baht. She says she
usually takes only one or two nights off a month because that is all she can
afford.
that if she wants a night off she has to pay the bar 500 baht. She says she
usually takes only one or two nights off a month because that is all she can
afford.
They are trapped.
Last night I learned that the price of a woman is actually
listed on the drinks menu at these bars. Under the “Bar File,” men can pay the
bar the amount listed and take the girl home with them. It’s so easy, it’s disgusting.
My teammate met a woman the other night who was very interested in coming to
SHE, but then she was bought for the week. So now we have to wait. We visited
her at the bar last night and we saw the man who had purchased her…he was
probably twice her age.
listed on the drinks menu at these bars. Under the “Bar File,” men can pay the
bar the amount listed and take the girl home with them. It’s so easy, it’s disgusting.
My teammate met a woman the other night who was very interested in coming to
SHE, but then she was bought for the week. So now we have to wait. We visited
her at the bar last night and we saw the man who had purchased her…he was
probably twice her age.
They are caught in the midst of a spiritual battle.
It’s hard not to feel defeated or exhausted when you are
facing this scene every night, yet we keep going. You can actually feel the
darkness and hopelessness as you walk down Bangla Road, yet we are bringing
light. We get hit on by some of the girls and ignored by others, yet we
continue to love them all.
facing this scene every night, yet we keep going. You can actually feel the
darkness and hopelessness as you walk down Bangla Road, yet we are bringing
light. We get hit on by some of the girls and ignored by others, yet we
continue to love them all.
