Tharath busily working in the cafe’s kitchen

Dear Friends,

I want to tell you about Tharath, a young woman I met during a recent visit to Cambodia. Because of her past, however, she asked that I not show you her face.

As a young girl, Tharath wanted to become a school teacher. Her mother favored her two older sisters, however, and forced Tharath to quit school after the ninth grade and fend for herself.

In her late teens, Tharath left her village and headed for the city looking for work. Pressured by cultural norms, she not only had to provide for herself, but also send money back to her mother. Following in the footsteps of countless other unskilled young women in Cambodia, Tharath began prostituting herself to make ends meet.

Unhappy with her life, Tharath heard of a ministry that provided training for employment that she could feel good about. She applied and was accepted, and there she learned how to sew. Because Tharath proved to be an excellent student, her teachers moved her to the school’s upscale cafe, where she is now learning restaurant management. Tharath is very happy at her job, and receives lots of encouragement from her teachers and fellow students.

Through our Human Trafficking Fund, we’re sponsoring Tharath for a year. For $70 a month, Tharath will receive the training and supplemental income she needs to make ends meet—and not feel forced to return to prostitution. She will also hear the gospel and be mentored in life skills she never received as a child.

I am so excited that Heaven’s Family can be a part of helping young women like Tharath escape the dark, dangerous life of prostitution, giving them opportunities they never before dreamed of. My dream is that we can help many more! If that’s your dream, too, please consider sponsoring another precious life for a month—or a whole year. Details of a great opportunity are below.

Because of Him,

Jeff Trotter
Director, Human Trafficking Fund