“Why did you buy me?” asked Film, a young girl who dances at one of Bangkok’s go-go bars. “We didn’t buy you,” said Jen Harmenzon, one of three Canadians who recently visited Thailand with Linwood House Ministries. “We paid for you to come out, have ice cream and go home for the night.”
We had noticed how sad she looked, explained Jen. So they called her over and asked her name. Then, as soon as Pu (a former prostitute) asked how old she was, “Film” started crying. She told them it was the first night she’d have to take off all her clothes on stage and she didn’t want to do it. That’s when they decided to pay her $24 bar fine for the night.
For Jen Harmenzon and Sue Todd this was their third visit to Bangkok and the Home for New Beginnings in two years. It was Gwen McVicker’s second trip. It’s a ministry they believe in, because in many ways it mirrors the work they do with women on Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside.
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globalgirl FACTSHEET: Prostitution in Thailand
“Estimates on the number of [Thai] women in prostitution range from 300,000 to 2.8 million, of which a third are minors.”; “The industry is estimated to account for an estimated 3 percent of Thailand’s economy, or about US $4.3 billion a year.”
Dragonflies
A friend recently asked me about my thoughts on the kingdom of God here in Sierra Leone. “Uh, what?” I thought, drawing a blank and fumbling like a clueless oaf. I pleaded with my slow brain, “Think, think, think!” “Dragonflies,” I cautiously posed. Then, with more certainty, as if trying to convince myself, “The kingdom of God is like blue dragonflies.”
Start with One
“If I can’t yet mourn a million people who left this world in a single day, I’ll start with one, and move from there,” says “Leah” in Barbara Kingsolver’s novel Poisonwood Bible. “And this is why I went to the Democratic Republic of Congo last year,” writes Tonya Sargent.
The Dance of the Chinese Brush
Czech Artist Natasha Sutta finds her way home to Prague after many years in exile, learning to break down walls and connecting her many worlds through her paintings.
Revolution
Is there an area in your life where you feel stuck? Angela Doell says it’s time to lead your own private rebellion and overthrow the government of Fear. It’s about a revolution in how you see yourself and what drives you.
Clarity in your Closet
Getting dressed is like wrapping up a gift, writes Danica Goward-Burns. She gives great pointers in how to shift into gear for a new season.
Kazakstan: Lavish Weddings Ruin Uzbek Families
Uzbek couples, obsessed with lavish weddings, find themselves in debt trying to earn the respect of their community. “Families spend their entire annual budget on weddings and run up debts that take years to repay,” writes Zinaida Savina.
Jobless Female Students in Iraq Losing Hope
Lack of opportunities and growing conservatism prompts many educated young Iraqi women to contemplate emigration.
Canada Can Say No: The Link between Legalized Brothels and Trafficking in Persons
Amidst the push to legalize brothels before the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Krista Bones takes a look at what that would really mean for the men, women and children involved.
21 Things You Can Do Today to End Sex Trafficking
Michelle Miller, an activist and executive director of REED, shares her list of action steps for anyone wanting to do something about sex trafficking today.
Behind Chocolate’s Bars
An estimated 12,000 children have been trafficked to Cote d’Ivoire, the world’s number one cocoa producer. Isn’t it about time chocolate came without the price tag of children sold into slavery?
Rice for Dinner: Raising Compassionate, Globally-minded Children
Once a week, Maria Shriver’s mom, Eunice Kennedy Shriver served her children a meal consisting of only a bowl of rice. Ellie Hagey, a mother and grandmother, takes a look at what it takes to raise children who want to make a difference in the world.
China Traffickers Push Drugs on North Korean Defector Women
Human traffickers in China who hope to sell women fleeing North Korea have been known to push addictive drugs on their victims to make them submissive, defectors and experts say.
Butternut Squash Lasagna
Next time you’re in the mood for lasagna, why not try this vegetarian take on the classic? Prepare the butternut squash sauce in advance and you’ll have dinner on the table in no time.
