I just received this assessment of three new young ladies we have taken into our aftercare program. Although we have changed the name of the girls and will not include pictures, it gives you some idea of the scope of the tradjedy that these young ladies have indured. Please pray with us as we seek out others who have been rescued and desperately need a new chance in life. This is from Alma our head social worker.
“We are getting ready to admit 3 new girls in our Child Rescue Project. The three girls are from different government shelters right now. One of them, Shane (not her real name), is from Manila. Shane became a commercial sex worker at a very young age. She was only 12 years old then. It all started when her mother, during one of their frequent fights, told her to prove to them (her parents) that she can stand on her own feet. Being a very strong-willed and rebellious teenager, Shane ran away from home and was recruited to work as a commercial sex worker. She became a dancer and also went out with customers. She has been working from one place to another until she was recruited to work as a bar dancer here in Cebu City. She was 15 years old when she was rescued here in Cebu City. Shane refused to testify against the manager of the bar at first because he was the only father figure she knew after leaving home. But she finally did. Shane had moments while in the center where she slashed her wrists whenever her requests and demands were not granted. But she had little by little gotten over it. But Shane is an intelligent girl. She was a first year high school dropped out but she passed the acceleration test while staying inside the center; she is now eligible to enroll for college. Shane is now 16 years old and she desires to move on and start a new life. She expressed desire to study Mass Communication and work in the media in the future.
Marley (not her real name) is 15 years old. She is from Cagayan de Oro in Mindanao. She was one of the 8 girls from Cagayan de Oro, who were intercepted in the pier in Cebu City because they were suspected to be victims of human trafficking. Marley started to engaged herself in the sex industry when she was 13 years old in her home town in Cagayan de Oro. Her sister was a prostitute also. She is the second child in the family and she made it her responsibility to feed her family as her father left them and had another woman. She said that many times she felt so tired and ashamed already of her work but she had to work for her family to survive. Sometimes when she is sick, she still has to force herself to get up to work or else her family had nothing to eat. Marley live in embarrassment because of her work. Many times her own grandmother will shamed her on public and the neighbours also talking about her and her job. But her own mother supported her in her job because of the money. Marley only finished Grade 3.
Joan (not her real name) is 16 years old. She is from Negros Occidental. Joan came to Cebu because her married sister invited her to stay with them in Mandaue. But Joan cannot take the nagging of her brother-in-law. She went with a woman who sold her to customers for sex. Joan claimed that she was molested by her stepfather when she was 13 years old many times. And she is afraid for her younger sister who is left with her mother in Negros Occidental. Joan claimed that she was never happy growing up because her father will force them all to work in the farm. Her father will beat them if they will not work. Joan was only in Grade 6. She claimed she was an honor student despite the absences she incurred because she had to work in the farm. She wanted to finish high school and find a good job.
THE STORY OF APRIL JOY
April Joy was transferred to HHCR with a medical diagnosis as BipolarI. She is 16 years old now. She is originally from Nueva Vizcaya in Luzon area. April ran away from their place because her father is very abusive to them. She remembers an incident where they were tied by their father with a rope with nothing to eat. April Joy has stayed in the streets and fend for own self. She was caught by the police wandering around and was placed in an orphanage there. April ran away from the centers she stayed in and go back to the streets until someone recruited her to work. And she ended up working as a prostitute. She was sent to Cebu where she was rescued. April Joy exhibit extreme defiance while in the government center. She slashed her wrist many times and used to threat the staff that they are afraid already not to give in to her demands. She has maintenance medicines for her bipolar condition. But when she was transferred to HHCR April Joy, did not take any medication at all for her Bipolar condition. She did not show any violent behaviour anymore like the ones she displayed in the government center. She forced herself to study and learn how to read and write. She has her mood swings but she is learning how to express herself in a non-violent manner. April Joy still has many issues to deal with due to her family but now she has God with her to guide her on what to do.
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