Fa's Story

Pronounced "fah"

Home of New Beginnings- Pattaya, Thailand

I am from Samut Sakhorn, southwest of Bangkok. I have one younger brother. Life was hard for us after my father left. I needed to work to help the family. A friend of mine introduced me to Beginnings; at the time I was working on Soi 7 (a red light district street). My friend said Beginnings had opportunities to receive an education and that I would no longer have to work in the bars. I thought it was too good to be true, but it turned out to be a dream come true.

I love to cook and bake. Right now, I am a culinary student in Bangkok. Beginnings is giving me the chance at the new safe home in Pattaya to teach other women who were once like me how to cook and bake so they can have a trade and leave the bars. The people at Beginnings are my family, and I want to give back to it and to other women in every way I can.

Anita's Story

Freedom Firm- India

Anita was just 11 years old when she was robbed of her innocence. To make ends meet, her mother began selling Anita to a local man for 3,000 rupees, the equivalent of about $45. The man who bought her was very rough with her, scarring her both emotionally and physically. “After it was over, I laid on the bed. I felt I couldn’t get up. I was bleeding badly,” Anita explained. “I was so sad, crying, I could not believe that my mom would do this to me.”

Soon after, a female street vendor befriended Anita only to deceive her. She tricked Anita into coming to Mumbai with her. Anita believed that if she went to Mumbai, she would be able to find work to support herself and her brothers so they could have a better life. Shortly after they arrived in Mumbai, Anita quickly realized that she had been brought there to be sold to a brothel. “They would drug me,” Anita recalled. “I couldn’t even remember how many people were using me at the brothel. I would be servicing customers until 4 in the morning.” The horrors in the brothel only grew worse with time. One night, an angry customer poured hot oil on Anita’s face. She was just 14 years old at the time and 9 months pregnant. That same night, in part as a result of her trauma, she went into labor and delivered her daughter.

Destiny's Story

Community Coalition Against Human Trafficking- Knoxville, TN

As a young girl, Destiny did not have an easy life. Her mother, the only parent Destiny had, brought many men into their home, and some of them sexually abused Destiny. She grew up thinking that this was normal. When Destiny finally gained the courage to tell her mother about being molested, her mother told her that it was okay and normal, and did nothing to stop it.

At the age of 13, Destiny was still living this broken life. Believing no one cared about her, she began having sex and using drugs. Her confidence was extremely low, and she felt all alone. Soon, she became involved in prostitution and experienced many painful situations. “I have witnessed people getting beaten, being raped, and I’ve had guns pulled out on me, thrown out of cars, you name it.”

When Destiny tried to escape this lifestyle, she experienced threats and abuse. She did not have a home to return to or anyone that she could trust. Her situation worsened and she eventually got into trouble with the law. At that point, Destiny tired to get away, but she could not easily do so because her abusers would not allow it. Through the help of an FBI agent, Destiny was able to get in contact with Community Coalition Against Human Trafficking, Freedom 4/24’s partner in Knoxville, where she is now receiving assistance and is a step closer to achieving goals that she did not know were even possible.

Someday, Destiny would like to be a chef. She hopes to be featured on Iron Chef and Top Chef. She also wants to use her past experiences to talk to young girls in hopes of preventing the cycle of human trafficking. She wants to open up a place of refuge to let girls know that they are not alone; a feeling that she once felt but now knows that everyone deserves better.

Dtoi's Story

Pronounced “doi”

Home of New Beginnings- Bangkok, Thailand

Dtoi is the youngest girl the Home of New Beginnings, Freedom 4/24’s partner organization in Bangkok, Thailand, has ever had. Rejected by her mother, she was raised by her grandmother in a remote village. After her grandmother’s death, she had no family to care for her. A woman visiting the village purchased her from her village chief, promising that she would find work for her in Bangkok. She was first sold to a friend as a nanny for her aging parents but Dtoi was too young and weak to do the work, so she was abused and finally sold back to the original buyer. Later, she was sold to a karaoke bar where the leadership at New Beginnings found her, and soon she came to live there. She had never been to school and had no idea how old she was. Her medical exam indicated about 10 or 11. Beginnings tutored her until she could pass the Grade 6 exam and she entered “real” school for the first time as a 7th grader. Now, she has been accepted in the math/science track and desires to be an engineer. Dtoi has fallen in love with Jesus. Once a week, she does an outreach in one of the malls and talks with other students about Jesus. So far, she has led three to Christ, and they are now attending a local church.

Nan's Story

Pronounced "nahn"

Home of New Beginnings- Bangkok, Thailand

I am from Samut Sakhorn just outside Bangkok.  I was able to finish high school by working during the summer in the bars with my sister. I wanted to go to University, so I continued to work with my sister in the bars until she told me about Home of New Beginnings and urged me to go. My sister sacrificed herself for me by continuing to work in the bars to provide for our family. Because of her sacrifice, I came to Beginnings six years ago.

Beginnings afforded me many opportunities. I was able to earn a business degree with a focus in human resources. I am now pursuing an MBA and working as a currency exchange teller while I go to school. My biggest dream is to be able to build a house for my parents, and give back to Beginnings.

Harriet's Story

Christine's House- Gulu, Uganda

All of her life, Harriet’s father and birth mother have not had a good relationship. Harriet lives with her stepmother who does not care about her. Her stepmother did not care when she dropped out of school and she did not care when Harriet was home alone and four boys came over to her house and sexually violated her.

Now everyday Harriet wakes up, she wakes up in a severe amount of pain. Each morning her back aches to the point where she simply cannot sit upright, quite possibly because of her rape.

In fact, a broken family life is one of the top leading causes of rape in the world. Harriet is in need of prayer and restoration between her and her family.

But Harriet is not alone. Her story is one of millions from all across the world. Harriet is only 15 years old and a member of Christine’s House, Freedom 4/24’s sponsored home in Gulu, Uganda. There she receives food, housing, education, counseling as well as the medical care that she desperately needs.

Would you consider partnering with Freedom 4/24 and Christine’s House to #RaiseYourArm with Harriet as she receives medical assistance and the education she has been missing.

Jane's Story

Compassion to Act- Charlotte, NC

My name is Jane.

I grew up outside of Detroit. I was a loved little girl, hopeful for the future but had some self-esteem issues with no coping skills. By 5th grade, my mom moved me and my siblings in with her new boyfriend. I became rebellious and insecure. By the time I was 16, I was using drugs and living a destructive lifestyle.

By 20, I wanted to redirect my life and became a flight attendant. I loved it and believed my life was becoming successful. A year later, however, I had to have surgery on my knee and was prescribed pain pills. I quickly began abusing my pain pills, restarting the cycle I had left back in Michigan.  

Eventually, I was introduced to black tar heroin, which immediately took over my life. Over the next year, I lost all of my possessions, relationships, and self-respect. To support my drug habit, I began trading sex for drugs and money. I met an older man who was a well-known drug dealer, who seduced me with compliments and free drugs and I became his main girl. Soon, however, his control tactics took over as he began to pimp me. Isolation, fear, intimidation, physical and sexual abuse, and mind games were part of my everyday existence. It became a living hell.  

By the grace of God, I was rescued by Compassion to Act (a Freedom 4/24 partner) and taken to rehab three years ago. Since then, I have found a lot of healing. I know I am very blessed to have made it out. Currently, I am learning to live a sober life, working, and trying to budget and pay my bills without ever using my body and integrity to make money. I hope to be able to impact ladies who have or are going through the "hidden crime" of human trafficking

Min's Story

Home of New Beginnings- Bangkok, Thailand

Min was a streetwalker who came regularly to outreach English class at Freedom 4/24’s partner organization in Bangkok, Thailand, the Home of New Beginnings. Leadership at the home had encouraged her to move in but she had just escaped an abusive marriage and felt driven to send money home to support her mother and two younger siblings. One day, she arrived late to class, was clearly agitated and eventually told the leadership at New Beginnings that she had taken a repeat customer. She thought she was safe with him, he took her to his hotel room where four additional men waited. Gang raped, bruised, and distraught, Min moved in that morning to New Beginnings. In just a few weeks, she decided empathetically to follow Jesus. Min ultimately completed grade 10-12 and then attended Bible School. She graduated with a major in Spiritual Life and remains very active in her church with her husband and their little girl.

Stella's Story

Christine's House- Gulu, Uganda

In her 12 years on this earth, Stella has experienced a lot. Stella is one of five siblings at home along with her father and mother. However, her mother has a mental illness so she is not able to properly take care of her and her siblings. While Stella’s father is not home far too often which leaves them vulnerable to many kinds of danger.

For about a month, while Stella was traveling to and from school, one of her classmates would find her and rape her. After a month, Stella found out that she was pregnant and the boy who raped her was arrested. But the police only detained him for three days and then released him from their custody.

Stella was forced to drop out of Lagutu Primary school in March 2015. She is now a member of Christine’s House, Freedom 4/24’s sponsored home in Gulu, Uganda, founded in 2012. For $116 a month, Stella is able to call Christine’s House “home” and receive food, education, medical care, as well as psychological and spiritual counseling and much more.

There are 29 other girls at Christine’s House with similar stories who need your support-- 29 girls who are victims of rape, sexual abuse, and human trafficking who have been given the opportunity to receive housing, training and care that they need.