Our Blog: Futian International & Fine Arts School

20 May, 2022

BLESSED PROJECT - STOPPING TRAFFICKING IN THE PHILIPPINES

A Chance to Move Forward

When a young woman is rescued from human trafficking, the road to recovery is a long and challenging one for many – emotionally scared and broken from un-imaginable abuse. This is where the “Blessed” program steps in to fill a gap most NGO’s are unwilling to journey into. It’s tough, long work filled with lots of heart-break. However, it’s a journey these girls need to go through – and they need support. What happens for each girl broken from victimization is different from the next. And, it’s a path to recovery that may take 12 – 18 months. Sometimes longer.

Recently, 3 Blessed Project trainees met with their lawyer (from International Justice Mission) and a court official to prepare them for giving their testimony in court. Aside from reviewing their case, they were also toured around the court, so as to familiarize them and they will not be overwhelmed.

Rachel, Kat and May (names changed for privacy) will all testify against their mother who pushed them into exploitation.

Right after rescue, they were given immediate care in The Blessed House restoration center. Initially, they were going to stay in the center for only 3 months, but due the pandemic, there were delays on the legal processing of their case. After more than a year, they will finally get the chance to move forward.

Help support the girls at the Blessed House through the rehabilitation process, and bring restoration while they rebuild their lives.

Click on the links below to know more.

Our Partners

19 May, 2022

COMMUNITY RADIO - HUMAN TRAFFICKING AWARENESS

Husband and Wife Reunites

The 3 Angels Community Radio (3ACR) team has played a significant role in solving women’s issues relating to domestic violence. Ramita told us that she was abused by her husband and family members. She belongs to the lower caste in Nepal. Now, she was disconnected from her husband after he went abroad. She was invited to one of our most popular programs ‘Nepali Cheli’ to share her story.

One of her husband’s friends in Qatar heard the program and shared all the stories that Ramita shared on the radio program. 3ACR also connected her with our advocate and local police to solve her issue.

When her husband found out that she still loved him, even after five years of abandonment, he could no longer resist not calling her. Ramita informed us that her husband has returned to Nepal and they have started to live together again.

Since the global pandemic began in 2020, this radio station has been a beacon of hope, broadcasting to those who have lost jobs, been cut off from their families, and left wondering what will happen next. It has not only been a way to communicate much needed hope and important information but it is also a place where people can ring to ask for help with emergency food relief, legal advice, and counselling.

HELP US KEEP THE RADIO STATION RUNNING

Captivating is the majority funder of the operating costs of radio headquarters in Pokhara who continue helping those most desperate in Nepal. Check out the links below to know more about 3ACR and how you can help.

OUR PARTNERS

18 May, 2022

END POVERTY

MBMF Continues to Grow

One of our programs in Nepal continues to grow in number. My Business My Freedom or MBMF aims to address extreme poverty by providing women who are most at risk of becoming victims or have been rescued from human trafficking, with microloans to start a small business.

By allowing them to earn a sustainable income, these women have a better chance of fighting poverty and continued freedom.

A newly formed group of 22 members have been added to the program with your continued donations and support! This is a group of women whose new businesses are selling vegetables.

We look forward to seeing more women gain empowerment and freedom through this program.

WE NEED YOUR HELP

Help stabilize Nepali women with a small business loan. Your donation of US$200 will go a long way. Click on the links below to know more.

OUR PARTNERS

12 May, 2022

CHINA

Refining their Tailoring Skills Through Mid-Term Assessment

After several weeks of trainings, more than half of the first tailoring courses that we launched in China for this year has been completed. 30 women are part of this My First Job Tailoring Program. Most students are active and eager to learn but due to personal capability and other factors, the learning progress of some students is relatively slow, and most other students’ achievement is ideal, which has been recognized by the training teacher.

Recently, the teacher conducted a unified assessment of the students' mid-term learning progress. On that day, most of the students came to the class to participate in the assessment.

The mid-term assessment is mainly divided into two parts, first one focused on cutting. The students need to independently complete the cutting of a Tibetan female clothing. During this period, the teacher gave an evaluation and assessment on the students' measurement and cutting accuracy, and cutting steps, and whether they can carry out the above operations independently

The teacher will help improve the students’ weaknesses according to the result in the future class and complete training without giving up any student. We also expect students to make good progress by the time they complete the training.

Thank you to ZURU for half funding the My First Job programs. Thank you also to SWIS and CAF America!

Our partners

9 May, 2022

INTERCEPT A GIRL AT THE BORDER

Anita's Tailoring Business

This is Anita's tailoring business. Anita and four other young women spent time at the Women’s Safe Haven and are now rehabilitated and reintegrated into the community. They have joined together to start this new small business. They also give tailoring training to other vocal village girls and are huge advocates of girls being independent and have the ability to earn an income. We are proud of Anita and her friends for the amazing work they are doing in their community.

Starting Small Businesses to Uplift Women

05 MAY 2022| HONOR 1000 - MICRO FINANCE PHILIPPINES | STOP HUMAN TRAFFICKING

There's nothing quite like being able to grow something from scratch. We are so blessed to witness the lives of these women who have taken the challenge of starting their own businesses to save up and to earn little by little for their livelihood.

From raising quails, to selling softdrinks, and to setting up their sari-sari stores, these Filipinas have embodied strength and resilience through trying times. Imagine being able to do all these during a pandemic! We applaud your efforts Jenelyn, Leni, and Melvin!

Jenelyn decided to join our field partner's HONOR microfinance program because of the encouraging stories shared to her. It was specifically the low interest rates and weekly devotion that caught her eye. Her business is supplying soft drinks to other businesses. During the pandemic, her business also experienced decrease in demand that meant a decrease of her income as well. But she continued to persevere in getting orders knowing that her son is still in school. She is thankful that with the ease of restrictions, demand is also increasing again. We are also encouraged to see Jenelyn and how she is saving diligently. It is the program's goal to not just help moms with loan capital but also to instill in them the habit of saving. Because of this, Jenelyn has saved a little more than PHP 8,500 already!

Leni owns a small sari sari store -- up in the mountains. This is where she and her five children lives. Because there are only a few stores in their area, her stable income has allowed her to transform their home to concrete. Leni's dedication can be seen as she crosses rivers, with her stocks in hand, to reach her store. She is grateful to have found HONOR that caters not only to the businesses in their town center, but also to small businesses in the mountains. By supporting Leni, we are not only serving her family, but also her community that they are able to purchase their necessities closer to home.

Here is Melvin receiving her very first HONOR loan. Her business is quail raising where she sells both the eggs and chicks. She shares that before the pandemic, she was selling rugs and used clothes but due to the low demand, she needed to start a new business that would provide a more stable income. She researched on quail raising and even studied how to market it. She started on 100 eggs and she was very happy with how it all sold out once she posted it for sale. After this, orders came and she needed help with more capital. This is how she found our program. Her neighbor and friend is part of our HONOR microfinance and has shared with her the benefits of low interest and good management. With this, Melvin also went through our application process and is now part of our program! We are here for mothers like Melvin who are looking for partners in their growth!

Help More Filipinos Break Away from the Cycle of Poverty

With your support of AU$385/US$270, we will be able to provide a Filipino mom with a small business loan. Click on the links below to know more.

Our Partners

28 April, 2022

END POVERTY

Shanti's Children Are Back in School

Shanti was married at an early age. Her husband works as a daily waged laborer and his minimal pay is not sufficient to provide for the family and the schooling of their children. Because of this, their daughter stopped going to school.

Visiting the Students

Our volunteer teachers do not only spend time with the children in school. They also make time to get to know more about the students and understand their living conditions. Our team recently had the privilege of visiting some of the schools and seeing where some of the students live.