“Because of the devastation of the afflicted, because of the groaning of the needy, Now I will arise,” says the LORD; “I will set him in the safety for which he longs.”
Psalm 12:5
I started to feel my heart pull for women in sex trafficking fairly recently. This came about through watching a Netflix documentary called “La Promesa”. This show captured the perspectives of 4 women from Latin America who went from really desperate situations and were deceived into sex-trafficking. This show revealed to me just how easy it could be for someone to fall into this darkness. Later a documentary was revealed called “Save our Seoul” based off of the red light district of Korea. It disgusted me to hear the interviews of women who just accepted the fact that the men in that country used prostitution regularly. After the documentary was shown a group of law enforcement, non-profits, and spa owners revealed that traffickers were using “massage parlors” as cover ups for trafficking. Even in my home state of NC this is a huge issue.
The following are words from an amazing woman I met in Quito Ecuador, in our second country along the World Race. She is friends with one of the women we worked with through CRU Ecuador. Clair Whitcomb is allowing the Lord to use her in Ecuador to help bring healing to women involved in and coming out of sex-trafficking. This isn’t only an issue in Ecuador or overseas. It’s a lot closer to home than you would imagine. Read about her story and the story of the ministry below. Also these links can give you a lot of information as well.
Check out the beautiful jewelry made by the women of this ministry. Help support them and purchase some of this jewelry like the girls of my team did.
https://www.esperanzart.org/
My name is Claire Whitcomb and I am from a small town outside of Fort Worth, Texas. I joined my missionary organization, One Collective, after college and went to Nicaragua for two years to use my business degree. My sense of justice led me to EsperanzArt, one part of our anti-sex trafficking ministry here in Ecuador.For me, working with the girls day-in and day-out has been challenging: seeing their emotions rise and fall so quickly. Sometimes when they are upset, it really can feel like it´s my fault, even though I know they are just hurt from their past and are doing the best they can. I do love seeing them heal and mature though, especially in their roles as mothers. Setting examples for their kids, providing for them and especially loving and nuturing them as inheritance of the kindgom of heaven has been heartwarminga nd hopeful to watch.
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Our Story
Sex-Trafficking in Ecuador
Imagine someone from a poor family being sold into the sex trafficking industry as a young girl. Running from a step-father’s abuse and being tricked and trapped into working at a brothel for no pay. Dropping out of school and having her first child – alone. These are some of the stories that the young women of EsperanzArt have experienced… but God is redeeming their stories.
Sex-trafficking and sexual exploitation is one of the most common tragedies in our broken world. We invite you to help combat this in Ecuador, a small, developing country in South America. Because of it’s open borders, traffickers can easily smuggle vulnerable women and children across borders. Once in Ecuador, these young women are forced into the legal industry of prostitution…unless they are rescued and given a second chance.
By wearing EsperanzArt you are choosing to take action against the sex trade and bring hope, healing and opportunity to these young women. Our wish is that EsperanzArt would also give YOU the opportunity to become a part of our ministry through buying our jewelry, sharing our stories, and praying for our girls.
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How We Began
EsperanzArt.org was founded by Miguel, an Ecuadorian who survived a childhood of poverty and neglect. He lived on the streets as a teenager, until a local ministry intervened and gave him a second chance. From there, Miguel developed a desire to help people in similar situations. Miguel and his wife Desi, started EsperanzArt as a vocational workshop for girls rescued out of the sex trade.
“Esperanza” is the Spanish word for hope. Our vision is to offer hope through art.
Emotional Hope: Helping the girls gain confidence by healing through art and building positive relationships.
Economic Hope: Gaining work experience while completing their high school education which improves their capacity to find a permanent career and support their children (most are single young moms).
Spiritual Hope: Reclaiming their true worth through weekly devotionals and learning Christian principles in the workplace.
The EsperanzArt’s jewelry workshop is part of a larger anti-slavery organization called ESME: End Slavery Ministries Ecuador. ESME includes Casa Adalia, the home for rescued girls, and Amadas, the street outreach for women in prostitution. For more about ESME, please visit www.casaadalia.net.
Resources (film/documentary):
https://gocorps.org/goers/2015claire/blog/2018/04/awareness
