First of all, I want to thank all of you, all of my
supporters and those who read this blog, for being on this journey with me. The
fact that you have all been so faithful to being a part of this race, sending
encouraging words, financially supporting me, and allowing God to speak to you
through some of my experiences. I share some of this stuff with you as a
friend. When stuff is really personal to you it’s your friends you want to
share it with. So here is what I have
been up to, and where this journey as brought me to.
Never in my life have I understood the situation in Thailand
to when it comes to the sex trade. Granted, I still do not know everything, but
from what I have learned and witnessed in these past few weeks has truly broken
my heart.
Tara Reed and Mari Tomer, two amazing
women, wrote out a blog showing the statistics of the industry here in
Thailand:
Trafficked. “To most of us, the word simply represents an
‘issue’-just another to choose from in the marketplace of ideas. To the
enslaved, it’s something infinitely more devastating. It means the end of
childhood and the beginning of hell. It means ten to twenty men to service
every night for years on end. It means every manner of sexually transmitted
disease, while the body just falls apart under an abominable weight of abuse.
It means the total destruction of a precious human soul.”
Over 1 million children are trafficked each year
2,700 children are trafficked each day
The Sex Trade Industry bring in over
32 billion dollars each year
The
Sex Trade in Thailand
Approximately
1
in 5 women
400,000 children under the age of 16
1
in 100 will contract HIV
Enter
the sex trade under age 18 = 90% chance of dying within 3 years of AIDS
AIDS
is the leading cause of death
Average
age = 7
years old
Legal Age
=21 years old
1/3
of the perpetrators are government officials and police officers
In
addition, girls at
risk will most likely enter the sex
trade; poverty is the greatest risk factor. Others include: single parent
household, hill tribe member, refugees of Burma, Philippines, and India, or unexpected
emergencies. Because of these things, it is a common practice to sell
the virginity of young girls.
desperation, parents release their daughters in hopes of ensuring the survival
of their families. In return, they are promised financial gain, education,
training, and safety. These parents will most likely never
see their daughters again.
These are not just statistics. These
are precious lives.
You have a choice
You can do something
Or
You
can hope someone else will
Action
be moved, be moved to do something.
