The HUG project, located in the larger city of Chiang Mai, focuses higher on the poisonous chain of abuse: protecting victims of human trafficking by pursuing convictions for traffickers. We had the privilege of meeting with Mike, the Child Protection Director of HUG. He works closely with Boom, the founder of HUG. Boom was born in Chiang Mai and taught English until Gods heart for His children motivated her to leave it all and pursue justice. Now she and a tight knit staff run the HUG project and have collaborated with the Women and Child Protection Unit Royal Thai Police Region 5 to start and run the Big Brother Project. The HUG Project and Destiny Rescue have also collaborated on some cases in helping protect and restore children, and participated in trainings together.
The HUG project’s transitional children’s home houses kids for up to six months to hold their hands through the court process. After that, kids are either returned to their parents or sent to a long term care center. The HUG project grapples with inconsistencies in the Thai justice system, such as arrested traffickers getting bailed out to roam free for up to a year before bring sentenced.
In pursuit of restoration as well, HUG project is also collaborating with other law enforcement agencies and NGO’s to open Thailand’s first Child Advocacy Center. The Center will offer interviews to help perpetrators be prosecuted, along with counseling, therapy, and education for victims. The Big Brother project also facilitates restoration, targeting at-risk street children who are vulnerable to traffickers due to their poverty, broken families and lack of education. For the first 7-8 months the kids are drawn into a community through activities like swimming, soccer and ziplining. Relationships are built during this time and the local police have the opportunity to become involved as “big brothers”, watching over the kids who’ve longed their whole lives to be watched over.
Later into the project, the kids begin art therapy where they drawing and talk more about their stories. Also, as it is extremely difficult to get back into the Thai school system after having left it, the Big Brother project works with Gor Sor Nor, the non-formal education system in Thailand which helps kids receive the equivalent of graduating 9th grade. This opens up many more employment opportunities for them in Thailand. They are enticed to responsible decision-making by positive reinforcement and lots of fun activities.
“If there’s going to be change, the change needs to come from within themselves.” -Mike
Pray for justice in Thailand. Pray for blessing and favor these two amazing ministries and all the opposition they face. Currently the Thai government is cracking down on volunteers and limiting work permits. There’s a constant need for more laborers, though the harvest is plentiful. The HUG project is particularly in need of teachers and people skilled in NGO marketing and fundraising.
