Peace Gospel Blog

Fight against sex trafficking to expand; Mumbai brothel rescue, Nepal rehabilitation center planned

2012-02-02T17:40:00.000-06:00

We've been burdened by stories we continue to receive from our native teams regarding human trafficking, especially in the realm of sex trafficking. It's a very real tragedy our teams have encountered first-hand in India, Nepal, Myanmar, The Philippines, Uganda and Chad.

Give justice to the weak and the fatherless; maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked. —Psalm 82:3-4

Inspired by the commands of this scripture and others like it, over the past two years we've been developing a strategy to attack the crisis head-on. Specifically, this report will update you on our plans to escalate our sex trafficking prevention efforts in India and Nepal. These initiatives are in addition to our existing slum outreach and orphan care programs which have already been successfully rescuing and caring for children who are at extreme risk of trafficking, and in many cases freed directly from child labor or slavery situations.

Our native workers in India and Nepal are in a unique position to offer aid to women trafficked against their will, forced to become prostitutes in the notorious brothels of Mumbai. The majority of women trapped into forced prostitution in India originate from the villages of Nepal.

One method used by the traffickers is to lure young women and teenage girls with the promise of jobs in the big city. Parents willingly send their daughters thinking they will be able to send back funds earned from their jobs. Of course orphans under the care of relatives are at the highest risk for being sent along with the traffickers. In many other cases, sadly, girls are either kidnapped outright, or sold into slavery for one-time cash payments due to the desperation of destitute parents.

For over a year now our native team in Nepal has been conducting human trafficking awareness campaigns in dozens of the villages known to be targeted by the traffickers. The traffickers prey on the villages along the India-Nepal border, as it is easiest for them to make it across the unguarded stretches of the border in those areas. Villages further north are less likely to be targeted because of the distance and difficult terrain the traffickers must travel to successfully reach the Indian border without being discovered by the authorities.

Our teams are going door to door and holding open air meetings in the villages, educating the villagers of the tricks and tactics of the traffickers. Villagers have been shocked to discover the realities of forced prostitution, and we believe our efforts are making a substantial difference.

However we feel called to do more. It has become clear that our next steps will lead us to direct involvement in rescuing trapped Nepali girls from the Mumbai brothels, and then offering rehabilitation for the girls who are rescued. Thankfully, the tide is turning on the previously indifferent Indian government participation in the crackdowns of these operations, and more and more Nepali girls are being freed from their captors. We are sad to report that many of the freed girls have no where to go and end up right back in the same trap within weeks or even days.

We've established contact with Nepali friends living in Mumbai who are well acquainted with the situation. With the cooperation of our new friends in Mumbai and the Indian police, we have confirmed that there is an immediate need of placement of rescued girls into rehabilitation. Our strategy will be to provide tips for the Indian police that only persons of Nepali origin would have awareness of. In addition, it will be to our advantage that our Nepal team will be able to speak with the rescued girls in their native language.

As there is an immediate need for placement of rescued girls into rehabilitation, we have already made plans to rent a facility in Kathmandu where we will outfit a new center to house up to 20 rescued girls. Our staff has already begun training female counselors who will oversee the day to day operation of the program.

We will offer the women a place to live in a nurturing support-based environment. All meals and expenses to stay at the center will be covered for a period of at least six months, until the women can be successfully employed or reunited with relatives in their native villages. Bible study will be offered to those interested in participating. Women from our team's home church in Kathmandu will be among the volunteers.

We've set a financial goal of $55,000 to equip us for these new programs. Funds will be used to cover travel and other expenses for members of our Nepal and India teams to operate successfully in Mumbai, and to outfit and cover the first six months' operating expenses of the new rehabilitation center in Kathmandu, Nepal. Additionally, the funds will be used to acquire a new four-wheel drive vehicle to expand our reach among the villages of Nepal.

Take Action:

[ donate toward our Nepal & India Anti-Trafficking Fund ]

[ protect an orphan from human trafficking through a $24/mo. sponsorship ]

[ shop Amazon.com through this link, 7% of your purchase goes to our programs ]

Women in our Uganda craft business program eagerly await new training center

2011-12-26T15:54:00.000-06:00

The women of the rural community we serve in southeastern Uganda have been gifted with very resilient, hard-working and determined spirits. However they lack two important ingredients in putting these gifts into action: capital and training. Seizing on the potential we see in these amazing women, we're equipping them with training and basic supplies to start small craft businesses.

They're making beautifully crafted, in-demand products such as wicker baskets, sleeping mats and brooms. A gift of just $79 can commission one of these women into a profitable business, empowering her with the ability to supplement her family's income. More importantly, by assisting in the launch of her new business, we give her the gift of self-confidence and fulfillment in utilizing her talent and ability.

Although successful, the program is severely hindered by lack of adequate training space and proper equipment. So earlier this year a vision unfolded to provide them with more adequate space and equipment. The construction project for the new training center was begun in August but without a roof and finishings, the existing work is at risk of structural decay as the rainy season approaches. In fact there are already some repairs that will need to be made from exposure to rainstorms we experienced in November.

Thus we're in urgent need of $18,500 to complete the craft business center for these widows and impoverished women [donate toward this fund]. This figure includes machinery and supplies our students need to enhance their training and launch more effective businesses; an amazing cost-to-impact ratio that will continue to empower women for years to come!

Take Action:

[ learn more & donate toward the craft business training center ]

[ sponsor a woman's craft training & business launch for only $79 ]

[ sponsor an orphan from Uganda for only $24/mo. ]

[ shop Amazon.com through this link, 7% of your purchase goes to our programs ]

Philippines cyclone leaves girl's home in disarray; newly expanded hen house survives

2011-12-22T16:53:00.001-06:00

A recent cyclone inflicted serious damage to our girl's home orphanage and staff quarters on the Philippine island of Cebu. Fortunately everyone is safe and our newly-expanded hen house was spared any major damage. Repairs are already underway, using capital taken from our emergency fund. However we do not maintain a large emergency fund and still lack $8,600 to complete the repairs. We are urgently seeking these funds to repair and strengthen the structure in preparation for future storms.

Our native team on the island of Cebu have been making a difference in the lives of those affected by extreme poverty for over 10 years. Our work of reaching orphans, destitute children and at-risk widows in the Philippines is being sustained and multiplied by a hen house project. Recently, funds were provided for the addition of a second level on the hen house, doubling our capacity and egg production potential.

As we reach an average of 400 children monthly through our children's outreach program, we've encountered orphan girls who are victims of child labor or slavery situations. In response to this tragic realization, our native team has provided refuge for a handful of these girls through the girl's home orphanage.

This effort to rescue orphan girls from tragic circumstances has been made possible by a combination of orphan sponsorships and the success of our native team's hen house. For other orphans we've encountered who are living with relatives, we're also offering education supplies and scholarships. Please review the 'take action' links below to learn more about how you can get involved.

Although we are discouraged by the recent damages, we are thankful that the girls, our staff, and all of the residents of the local communities we serve were able to survive the cyclone. We also remain hopeful that funds will be provided soon and that the girl's home will come out stronger and safer in the long-term.

Take Action:

[ donate toward this fund today: any amount is appreciated ]

[ sponsor new chicks + starter feed for the hen house ]

[ sponsor an orphan in the Philippines for only $24/mo. ]

[ donate your facebook or twitter status once a month: be an orphan advocate ]

India orphanage gets relief from frequent power outages and high electricity bills

2011-12-06T16:32:00.001-06:00

Empowered! Around this time last year we announced a new initiative to bring solar power to our orphanages. We started this process with the addition of small solar arrays at our India and Chad project sites. Nathan Adair, a regular reader of the Peace Gospel blog, was intrigued by the story and wanted to help. So he started doing his own research as part of his MBA, to help us ascertain the best way to expand our solar-power system at our India campus. He started a blog and began to help with an effort to raise the funds needed for the project.

Several months later we're happy to report that the funds have been raised for the expanded solar solution, and one of the two solar arrays purchased has now been installed. It's working wonders in bringing relief from frequent power outages, not to mention resulting in a significant decrease in our electricity bill.

The second array will be installed on the new school building roof as soon as that building project is fully funded and completed. We're currently seeking donations to help with the completion of that project, which lacks only 15% of the total goal [help us reach our goal]. Once completed, the entire campus will be solar-powered for much of the day.

In addition to savings, this solar solution will power a charging station for special long-lasting, energy-efficient lamps which will be rented out to villagers in the nearby community. Throughout the year electricity can be very scarce in this region, and many have no electrical connections whatsoever. Thus we believe there will be great demand for our lanterns. This small business will further enhance our sustainability goals as well, through the income it will generate for the orphanage.

The solar solution rounds out a long list of projects designed to bring empowerment and sustainability to our India programs. Included in this list is our 12-acre farmland enterprise with its 240-tree orange orchard, a small dairy farm, a lentil harvest, and a productive vegetable and fruit-tree garden at the orphanage campus. These agricultural ventures provide funding for our programs while also helping to keep our orphanage pantry well-stocked.

Take action:

[ sponsor an orphan for just $24/mo. ]

[ donate your Facebook or Twitter status: sign up to be an orphan advocate ]

[ make a donation to help us complete the new school building ]

Nepal: women's craft business program continues to empower destitute women

2011-11-12T09:58:00.001-06:00

It sounds too good to be true: take a destitute woman struggling to keep her children fed, provide her with skills in the hand-craft trade, give her start-up supplies and a support network, all for $29, and transform her life in the process. But it is true, thanks to the very low cost of locally-available raw materials, and the fact that our instructors volunteer much of their time to this program. As a result of this effort and the generosity of our donors, we're seeing real life-change among these women.

We launched this program two years ago out of a desire to get to the root of the poverty crisis in rural Nepal. The problem does not originate from a lack of desire among these women to work hard, rather simply it is the challenge of not possessing the skills or the capital needed to be entrepreneurial. We have found that there is no scarcity of talent or desire on the part of these women to call up their God-given abilities and creativity. They're proving themselves quite capable of producing very valuable, attractive and quality crafts.

We're currently operating the program in the Ramechap, Makawanpur, Kaski, Ilam, Dhankuta, and Lalitpur districts. Hundreds of women have successfully completed our 15-day course, and many are already reaping the financial fruits of their new-found skills and small businesses. Take for example the story of Susmita. Age 26 and mother of 3, her husband has been in and out of seasonal agricultural labor and they've struggled to put food on the table. However, after being accepted into our program, Susmita was able to learn many craft-making skills during the session she attended in September 2010. Since then, she has found success in crafting beaded jewelry and candles. Now she and her family benefit from a steady flow of profits, enough to alleviate much of the pressure they were facing before. Through this journey, Susmita has found a new confidence in expressing her creativity in a way that's very profitable and fulfilling.

Many are finding success in simply selling the products in their local villages, however a newer development has allowed for our graduates to sell to Kathmandu tradesmen whom our team has found are eager to buy their products. Many of these buyers are saying they've never found such unique and quality products as those being produced by our graduates and are asking for larger quantities to be delivered. Thus this newer component of the program is taking the vision a step further-- finding wholesale buyers for our graduates, which creates a channel through which they can find immediate demand for their crafts.

Take Action:

[ sponsor a woman's craft business in Nepal for just $29 ]

[ sponsor an orphan in Nepal for just $24/mo. ]

[ shop amazon.com through this link: 7% of your purchase will go toward our programs ]

Acquisition of 12-acre Myanmar rice farm to make significant impact in funding multiplication

2011-10-26T15:07:00.000-06:00

In May of this year we announced plans to purchase an existing 10-acre rice farm to create further sustainable support for our Myanmar programs. We're pleased to report that after working through a few complications with the purchase in-country, we have successfully secured a different farm for the same price but with two additional acres. Our next goal is to buy a tractor to improve the efficiency of the farm. For now our team will utilize traditional plowing tools powered by oxen.

A group of volunteers rallied by our native team have agreed to donate their time toward the maintenance of the farmland. This farmland enterprise is already in operation and has transitioned smoothly into our care, with the existing crop still in great shape for the upcoming harvest. The farm will make a lasting impact for years to come by literally putting food on the tables of our 5 orphan homes in the country, serving 85 orphans. Our focus on this opportunity is reflective of our mission to create sustainability and empowerment in our programs.

The rice harvest will also provide feed for our piggery, which already generates significant operating funds for our orphan care and relief programs in Myanmar. By growing our own rice, we anticipate an annual savings of at least $4,500. This significant savings will not only afford us the ability to expand our reach in Myanmar, but achieves a greater goal of empowering our native team with a stronger sense of ownership in their work.

Take Action:

[ donate toward the purchase of a tractor for the new farmland ]

[ sponsor an orphan in Myanmar for just $24/mo. ]

[ donate toward our 2011 Orphanage Makeovers Fund ]

[ be an Orphan Advocate ]

India: higher standard of hygiene enabled; eager entrepreneurs commissioned; next phase of orphanage campus near completion

2011-09-23T14:08:00.000-06:00

We have several stories of empowerment and improvements to quality of life coming from our India programs. One major development at our India orphanage campus has been a significant upgrade to the children's bathing, restroom, clothes washing and dishwashing areas.

A set of 7 new restrooms for the girls dormitories has doubled our total restroom capacity. The bathrooms also serve as washrooms for bathing. Additionally, a hand-washing and dishwashing station with 10 spigots was completed, drastically improving the efficiency of pre- and post-mealtime routines for the children. Finally, an Indian-style clothes-washing slab was added in the washing area. These upgrades have enabled drastic advantages in our staff's ability to enforce proper hygiene habits for the children.

At our Seamstress Business School we've commissioned another group of eager entrepreneurs already fast at work with their new skills and sewing machines. All told, 30 women, consisting of widows and destitute women of the slums, completed the 4-month training which gives them a strong working knowledge of the seamstress trade, including practical small business skills. [ Learn more about this program. ]

For the past several months we've been working on a new, permanent school building for our orphanage campus. The newly expanded building will offer a kitchen and dining hall on the ground floor, and a second floor with 7 classrooms and 2 offices. Previously, the classes were overcrowded and inadequately equipped with just 3 classrooms and one office for the teachers.

The new construction will allow for our first permanent kitchen and dining hall on the campus, allowing for vastly increased ability to maintain sanitation and order for meal preparation and dining. We're excited about this project because it will take us a strong leap forward in our vision to raise the standard of care for these whom the scriptures proclaim are very dear to God's heart.

Take Action:

[ sponsor an orphan from India for only $24/mo. ]

[ help sponsor a seamstress business candidate for as little as $15 ]

[ sign up to be an Orphan Advocate ]

10,000-liter water storage facility at our Chad, North Africa orphanage nears completion in midst of worst drought in 60 years

2011-09-15T13:47:00.000-06:00

As East Africa faces its worst drought in 60 years, high food prices and failed crops have left millions of people at risk. Our new water tower and well pump, once completed, will make a life-saving difference for 8,000+ locals in the community surrounding the orphanage campus.

Thanks to the generosity of donors like yourself, our native team in Chad has been able to construct a 10,000-liter water tower on the orphanage campus in N'Djamena. The tower will be supplied with water from the source well we drilled in 2010, however, we are still in need of a generator and pump to keep the tower filled. This will be critical in the months ahead, as the UN is projecting severe famine and water shortages in the region as a result the drought.

This tower will supply water to the entire surrounding community and will be especially important in the next few months. Chad, along with much of Eastern Africa) are currently in a major drought. In what should have been an abundant rainy season, there has been little to no rain in the area. The drought is expected to produce a famine in the region in coming months. Please pray for rain for all of eastern Africa.

Goat Farm Update. Our Chad project is empowered by several micro-enterprise projects which generate additional funding for our programs. Our goat farm enterprise was recently relocated outside of N'Djamena, and has been much more successful than it was in the city. Our program director Kolpele remarked, "You wouldn't believe it if you saw it; the goats are fat and reproducing!" A mother goat gave birth to 2 kids a few weeks ago and the congregation celebrated the birth. Currently we employ 2 shepherds to tend to the flock.

Computer Lab Update. Our new computer lab for the orphans is almost complete. We only lack funds for a few remaining computer monitors. The three graduating orphans sent to college in Cameroon have returned to N'Djamena for vacation and are teaching the orphans how to use the computers. Once the college students go back to school, we hope that the children will know enough computing basics to teach others and to grow proficient. For the first time, these kids will have the aid of technology to give them a stronger opportunity to compete on an international level.

Seamstress Training Program Update. Our seamstress training program has produced several competent seamstresses. These women, many of them widows, are making clothing and generating income for their families. One of our staff members' wife was also trained in the program and were provided with one of the sewing machines. Now she earns an income sufficient for their whole family. Previously the family was sustained through our monthly operating budget. This is yet another example of our empowerment model in action and stretching precious resources.

Program Vehicle Update. The Land Rover that was donated last year has continued to transform the work of our Chadian team and, according to Kolpele, "It's a major blessing, like manna from heaven." No longer does our team concern themselves with how to transport resources like charcoal, food or animals. Also as a result of the vehicle our work has grown to include 5 other church plants serving as outreach locations in rural areas outside of N'Djamena. The vehicle has been a tremendous blessing, radically enhancing the efficiency of our operations in the country.

Take Action:
[ donate toward the current need for a generator and water pump ]
[ sponsor an orphan at our Chad orphanage for only $24/mo ]
[ sponsor a goat at the Chad goat farm for only $20 ]

Aided by new truck, Philippines team launches craft business program for widows

2011-08-30T16:11:00.005-06:00

We're pleased to bring you another story of empowerment coming from our work in the Philippines. Funds were recently provided for the purchase of a long-awaited light truck which will greatly aid the efficiency of our orphanage and children's outreach programs on the island of Cebu. It will also prove strategic in providing transport of goods produced by the graduates of our new widow's craft business school launched this summer.

Widows on the island are especially at risk in an area already plagued by extreme poverty. However, through this new program we're offering hope for some of the most vulnerable of the population. At present have 5 widows enrolled in the current session and another 52 awaiting sponsorships now for upcoming sessions.

For just $90, we can train and equip a widow to start her own craft business. This includes all supplies and tools required to begin a profitable business. The school instructor has generously volunteered his time as a charitable contribution to the program. We are focusing on woven products such as placemats, baskets and brooms, as these are products that are in demand locally. Part of the training includes teaching the women how to manage profits in such a way that they're able to buy more supplies and continue their production. Our team has already secured a buyer in the market, and believes there are multiple buyers if needed.

Part of the program's design is for our native team to assist in distribution of sales to the market buyers. Thus the widows do not need to take on the responsibility of finding and maintaining buyer relationships as they start their business. This will provide for a steady and simplified sales process for the women. Many of them have young children to care for and cannot take the time to manage the sales process, which involves travel into the city.

Because we are assisting in connecting the widows directly to buyers as if they were the factory, they enjoy "fair trade" or "direct trade" types of profits. Usually women in this trade would work for a wage, but in our case we are setting them up as independent business owners. Thus their income potential is much greater than that of a wage earner. The first graduates are already earning $150/month in net profits. This is a very strong income for this part of the world, and is proving monumental in its ability to pull the women out of the poverty they find themselves in.

Take Action:

[ offer a widow the gift of empowerment: sponsor her new business today! ]

[ sponsor the addition of chicks & starter feed at the hen house project ]

New school building, water well transforms Ugandan village

2011-08-26T14:54:00.003-06:00

After several months of prayer, planning, fundraising and construction, a new school building is now complete at our Uganda orphanage campus. In addition to this, we saw the provision of funds for a new water well which was drilled just two weeks ago. The addition of these two critical components on our campus have already begun to transform the local village where our campus is located.

After the well was completed, it was tested and found to produce up to 5,000 liters of clean water per hour. To the engineers' surprise, the well was rated with an extremely high recovery rate of 1,200 liters per minute (which means the well has a very small chance of running dry). The well comes as a welcome and joyous relief for the village of Buggade, residents of which previously had to trek 3 miles to fetch water from contaminated sources.

Water-borne diseases such as dysentery, cholera and bilharzia have been very common in the village. Thus the addition of an easily accessible clean water well for the local community will prove life-saving and transformative to the way the village functions on a daily basis. The well will provide clean drinking water for 12,000 residents daily.

In addition to the exciting development of the water well, we've also seen God provide abundantly for the completion of our permanent school building on the campus. The building's classroom space will accommodate up to 100 students and includes an additional dormitory for our growing orphanage. As part of the project we've also expanded the bathrooms to handle the anticipated arrival of several new students.

The villagers are also very pleased with this development as there are very few permanent school facilities in this region of Uganda. All of the locals are feeling a strong sense of enthusiasm for our work during this season of visible improvements that will benefit the entire community.

Our campus is also home to a temporary church meeting hall which accommodates a vibrant congregation of local Christ-followers. The group is very involved in volunteer work on the campus, demonstrating that our project has a committed team which feels a strong sense of ownership in the mission.

An on-site piggery enterprise is operated by volunteers from the congregation. The piggery is another example of how Peace Gospel is striving to equip all of our native teams with a sense of ownership in their work, pursuing our goal of matching our projects with enterprise models that empower and equip native-led missions. The piggery is also undergoing improvements, and although it's a newer project just 18 months old, has already started to realize promising profits. Our team is very encouraged with all of the recent developments and is feeling very empowered to make a long-lasting difference in the community.

For more details on our work in Uganda, please follow this link.

Take Action:

[ help expand the piggery, thus increasing long-term funding for our programs ]

[ sponsor an orphan at our Uganda project for just $24/mo. ]

India slum outreach transforms children from scavengers to students, plans for expanded facility

2011-08-24T14:40:00.009-06:00

Launched as a project of Peace Gospel International in June 2010, The Children's Hope Center seeks to rescue children aged 5 to 7 found working in the trash heaps of Hyderabad's slums. Hyderabad, India is a city of nearly 8 million and one of the fastest growing in the world. These children often have no choice but to sift through the city trash heaps for redeemable materials to be sold to recycling traders.

Our native team finds candidates for the program and spends time counseling parents (or relatives of orphans, as the case may be) on the benefits of enrolling their children into the program. Many are hesitant because they have come to enjoy the benefits of having an extra set of hands in gathering the recyclables. However, thanks to our team's persistent efforts and the generosity of our scholarship donors, we currently have 32 children enrolled.

The program achieves the following:

Rescues destitute children aged 5 - 7 found scavenging in trash heaps
Provides all supplies & uniforms needed for school
Enrolls them in school and provides after-school care & tutoring
Provides hygiene education & hygiene supplies
Provides a nutritious hot meal after school
Incorporates computer education at after-school care program
Provides safe escort of children home at end of program each evening
Offers Bible-camp style activities & hot meal on Sunday evenings

WHAT'S NEXT? In April of this year an opportunity came up for us to purchase the facility we were previously renting. Funds were provided and the land and small building were successfully purchased. Now plans are under way to expand the center, which currently consists of a very small one-room building for the computer lab, one restroom and an outdoor kitchen. The new facility will include an indoor kitchen, more space for the computer lab to grow, and a multi-purpose hall for classroom and dining space. The goal for the construction of the space is just $19,000.

Take Action:

[ donate toward our goal on the expansion project ]

[ sponsor a scholarship for a new child to enroll in program ]

Harvest at India farmland enterprise fills orphanage pantry

2011-08-23T12:54:00.004-06:00

The lentil crop (known locally as dhal) at our India farmland enterprise has been successfully harvested, yielding several months of a staple ingredient for the orphanage meals! This is yet another example of your giving being multiplied to make a long-lasting impact through our empowerment model.

When combined with rice, the traditional lentil preparation creates a complete protein. This very popular Indian dish, served in a mildly spicy style, is cited by many of the children as their favorite. Growing our own lentils saves us approximately $2,300 over a 6 month period. In the Indian economy, this is a very significant amount of resources.

Our programs in India are partially funded by proceeds from our 12-acre farmland enterprise. Our native team manages the operation, which consists of a 240-tree orange orchard, a water buffalo dairy farm and the lentil fields. Much of the feed for the water buffalo is grown on site as we strive for a self-sustaining model at the farm. The farm was established in 2005 as part of our purpose to empower native missions.

Take action:

[ invest in our programs today with a donation; any amount will make an impact ]

[ speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves: be an Orphan Advocate ]

Demi Moore shares common vision with Peace Gospel, FightTheTraffic.org

2011-07-18T16:38:00.007-06:00

Peace Gospel has been ministering to at-risk children in the developing world for over 18 years now. During this time we've seen the tragic emergence of a growing crisis known as human trafficking, and as it's specifically known when involving sexual exploitation, sex trafficking. It has been identified as the fastest growing criminal industry in the world; second only to drug trafficking as the most profitable illegal industry in the world.

Trafficking of girls and young women is especially a serious crisis in Nepal. To our welcomed surprise, it has received strong media attention this year thanks to such celebrities as Demi Moore bringing attention to the subject with her recent visit to Nepal. She has become aware of, and rightfully outraged by, what our native team has been fighting against for years in the villages where they work— that each year thousands of Nepalese girls are duped into following men and women to the big city with promises of jobs, but instead are forced into a brutal life of prostitution.

More than 12,000 Nepalese women and children are trafficked every year into sexual exploitation in Indian brothels. We welcome Demi Moore and her DNA Foundation to Nepal as they begin a new partnership with the secular local organization Maiti Nepal, fighting human trafficking on the borders and offering rehabilitation of victims who have found their way out of brothels. Our pursuit of awareness and prevention is similar, yet our approach of bringing in extremely at-risk orphan girls to our orphanages in Nepal and other countries where we operate is more proactive than rehabilitative. Both approaches are needed to fight this crisis, which is widespread in all of the Asian & African nations where we work.

For several years now we've also been taking a proactive approach of fighting the root cause of victims' vulnerability to trafficking— poverty— by equipping destitute women with candle-making business skills and start-up supplies. By ensuring that at-risk women and their daughters are less desperate for work, we can eliminate much of the temptation to fall prey to the scams in the first place.

After the initial shock of the statistics is absorbed, most people start to ask, "How could this happen?" Women or girls are lured to accompany traffickers based on promises of lucrative opportunities in the domestic or service industry unachievable in their native country. However, once they reach their destination, they discover that they've been deceived and learn the true nature of the work that they will be expected to do. Most have been told lies regarding the financial arrangements and conditions of their employment and find themselves in coercive or abusive situations from which escape is both difficult and dangerous. They may be beaten or locked up, their passports and other identification papers confiscated, being promised their freedom only after earning— through prostitution— their purchase price, as well as their travel and visa costs.

Girls who are victims of sex trafficking in Nepal often come from low castes and live below the poverty line. Missing girls can be as young as 8 or 9 but most often 14 to 18. Their top destination is to Mumbai brothels and other major cities of India like Pune, Delhi, and Kolkata. The lack of employment opportunity for girls and the cultural beliefs in South Asia regarding gender roles make young girls vulnerable to trafficking. Such at-risk girls have limited access to education and health care which leads to malnutrition, poverty, illiteracy and other problems.

Of course at Peace Gospel we are acutely sensitive to the unique plight of such at-risk girls who are also orphans— without a father or without both parents, often times they are living with relatives, or are already in a child labor or child slavery situation when we find them. Such orphan girls are natural targets for the traffickers. Either the widowed mother is desperate for cash to care for her other children and agrees to the terms of the offer. Or, in the case of an orphan girl living with relatives, they are often times less interested in her well-being than their own children and see her as a liability. So, when an offer to guarantee her a lucrative job in the big city comes along, without being aware of the true outcome of the deception, they willingly and happily agree to send her off.

In addition to offering a safe harbor for such at-risk orphan girls at our orphanage home in Kathmandu, Peace Gospel has also been conducting a human trafficking awareness campaign in Nepal. We've been focusing our latest efforts on the Rupandehi district, an area especially susceptible to traffickers due to its proximity to the Indian border. Our goal is to spread awareness of trafficking among the poor and illiterate girls and their families because most of the victims are ignorant of the traffickers' tricks and false promises.

Our teams have been very well received and although most are shocked to hear of such schemes, they have no reason to believe we would be making up such stories. They are appreciative and very inquisitive. Many begin to speak up at the group meetings; one woman said, "We have a neighbor who told us they were paid an advance against their daughter's future earnings for a housekeeping job in Mumbai. Now I wonder what really happened to her."

Peace Gospel has recently registered the domains "FightTheTraffic.com & .org" to help promote awareness of the Human Trafficking crisis. Plans for the domains are currently under development, but are currently being used to point to PeaceGospel.org. Use the domains in your own awareness-raising to help us as we empower native missions in Asia & Africa to reach orphans, child trafficking victims and at-risk women of the slums.

Take action:

[ sponsor a woman in her pursuit to rise out of poverty with a candle-making business ]

[ sponsor an orphan girl and ensure her safety for only $24/month ]

[ empower our native team in Nepal by sponsoring a goat at their goat farm ]

New campus at Chad project to further empowerment model

2011-06-30T17:06:00.007-06:00

Our Republic of Chad project will now be further empowered by a new multi-purpose campus near the orphanage in N'Djamena. Funds were recently provided to construct several small buildings on the campus. They will house a street-side café, a computer education center for the orphans, and a handful of affordable yet quality rental homes. The café and rental homes will provide significant funding for our programs, furthering our model of empowering native missions. Six computers have also been purchased to equip the computer education center.

Our local programs include an orphanage, a seamstress business training program for widows and other destitute women, and church planting in unreached areas deep in the interior of Chad. We're also making clean water availability a priority: the water well we installed at the orphanage provides clean water not only for our orphans and staff, but to several neighbors as well.

Along with the expansion at the second campus, other improvements continue at our original campus. This month an additional solar panel was acquired along with a second-hand refrigerator— the first fridge our native team has ever owned. This is a first step in improving conditions at the orphanage kitchen.

The additional solar panel will provide a much-needed boost to the existing solar-power system, which allows for the operation of fans and lights, and now, the fridge also. Electricity is extremely hard to come by in Chad. Power, if available at all, goes out for 12 to 18 hours at a time. Thus several locals are willing to pay a small fee to charge their cell phones through our solar powered backup system— yet another way our native team is being empowered to multiply funds for maximum impact.

Take action:

[ sponsor an orphan in Chad ]

[ be an Orphan Advocate ]

[ empower our native team by helping expand the goat farm with a new goat ]

New Philippines construction to accommodate girl's home orphanage

2011-06-08T10:05:00.003-06:00

For several years our native Philippines team has been ministering to the impoverished children on the island of Cebu. Primarily this has been done through the medium of weekend Bible day-camps where they serve hot meals, teach hygiene principles, and engage children in games & activities in a Vacation Bible School format. As they reach an average of 400 children a month through this program, they've encountered orphan girls who are victims of child labor or slavery situations.

In response to this tragic realization, our native team has provided refuge for a handful of these girls, leading to the opening of a girl's home orphanage this past month— the 10th orphanage now within the support network of Peace Gospel International. Now, a small home is being constructed to better serve them in a family-style environment. This new effort to rescue orphan girls on the island from tragic circumstances has been made possible by a combination of orphan sponsorships and the success of our native team's hen house. Please consider how you might get involved.

Take action:
[ sponsor an orphan girl from the Philippines for only $24/mo. ]
[ be an Orphan Advocate to raise awareness among friends ]
[ sponsor chicks & starter feed to expand the hen house ]

India slum education center: facility purchased to allow for needed expansion

2011-05-10T15:18:00.004-06:00

In some exciting news coming from our slum education center program in Hyderabad, India, we were presented with the opportunity to purchase the property we've been renting. The offer from the owner was at a below-market price so we needed to move quickly. Thanks to the generosity of friends like yourself, funds were provided within a short period of time and the process of purchasing the property was underway in early April.

We're pleased to report that the transfer of the property deed has passed all government requirements, and the property is now under our ownership! This will allow for much-needed flexibility as we plan to expand the existing facility. Currently, the 42 children enrolled at The Children's Hope Center meet out in the yard of the walled-in property for most activities. We'd like to expand the single-room building to allow for more indoor classes and dining space-- especially important as we approach the rainy season. Please consider partnering with us in this work as we seek funding for improvements to offer the best we can for these children.

Children from our 5 Myanmar orphan homes come together for 7 fun-filled days of summer camp

2011-05-10T10:56:00.003-06:00

Over 85 children from our 5 orphan homes in Myanmar came together at a volunteer's farmland area in the countryside for a week-long Vacation Bible School summer camp experience. Ready for a break after a long school year recently concluded, the children enjoyed games, crafts, group meal times, contests, and VBS-style Bible activities and lessons. On the final day the kids were overjoyed to break up into three teams for a lighthearted sports tournament.

One of our local leaders commented, "I think the children really learned a lot from each other. It was very encouraging for them to make new friends from the other homes. We were surprised to see how well they all got along and encouraged each other." Some of the teenage children are musically gifted and led the other children during music time. This is yet another program made possible because of the profits from the piggery we've equipped our native team with, and thanks to the local volunteers who so generously give of their time. At the close of the camp, our director presented the volunteers with some simple gifts and all of the children gave them a raucous cheering applause.

Take action:
[ sponsor an orphan from Myanmar ]
[ contribute toward our "Rice Farm for Myanmar Orphans" fund ]
[ sign up to be an Orphan Advocate ]

Myanmar rice farm opportunity to significantly enhance sustainability of orphan care programs

2011-05-05T15:14:00.002-06:00

Peace Gospel's native team in Myanmar has the opportunity to purchase a 10-acre rice farm and tractor for the below-market price of $21,000. A fundraiser has been launched to invest in the opportunity. Donations of any amount will make a lasting impact for years to come by literally putting food on the tables of our 5 orphan homes in the country. Our focus on this opportunity is reflective of our mission to create sustainability and empowerment in our programs.

The rice harvest will also provide feed for our piggery which already generates significant operating funds for our orphan care and relief programs in Myanmar. By growing our own rice, we anticipate an annual savings of $4,500. We envision this freeing up more funding to reach more orphans.

Take action:
[ learn more // invest in this opportunity today ]

2011 'Orphanage Makeovers' Fund established to radically overhaul living conditions at 8 orphanages

2011-04-29T12:32:00.004-06:00

Peace Gospel International is in urgent need of $96,000 to fund critical quality of life improvements at 8 of our orphan homes which lack many fundamental necessities. Due to the life-changing impact we saw from the "makeover" at our oldest and largest (India) orphanage last year, we are eager to apply some of the same improvements at our other orphanages.

THE PROBLEM. These orphanages are operated by our native pastors and church members who have reached out with compassionate hearts to the orphans in their communities, providing them with a loving home environment, and basic access to nutrition and education. However, the facilities where our native teams house these orphans are very primitive and lack basic quality of life components you and I take for granted. In addition, many of our orphans lack shoes or even a fresh pair of clothing.

WHY IS IT LIKE THIS? Most of the orphans under our care are rescued from a life on the streets, child labor situations, or sadly, the sex trade. They come from deplorable conditions. So you can imagine our native teams, lacking funding, are happy to just give them 3 square meals a day, a loving home, and a roof over their heads. In an orphan-rescue ministry, you grow not so concerned about having modern amenities in the home and new shoes on the children's feet— you're just glad you've rescued them and that they're in a safe and relatively healthy environment. However, we have felt called to raise the standard of care for these whom the scriptures proclaim are very dear to God's heart.

OUR SOLUTION. We feel it is our calling to provide these orphans with the best we can offer; what we would expect our children in the West to have basic access to, and to do it all in a way that's sustainable— that's why we've empowered all of our orphanages with local small businesses our native teams operate— so they can rely more on their own God-enabled ingenuity & hard work than on donations from abroad. However, we've got to help them take care of some critical challenges that cannot wait for business profits— that's what this fund is for.

What this fund will provide for 188 children at 8 orphanage homes:

• Kitchen upgrades to handle cooking loads & improve sanitation
• Dining tables & chairs for the children to avoid eating on the floor
• Major upgrades to existing toilets and bathing rooms
• A small fridge for each orphanage home
• Water purifier for each orphanage home
• New vegetable gardens or improvements to existing gardens
• New fences or other measures to add security around the homes
• Roof repairs to prevent rainwater leakage
• Other miscellaneous repairs to the homes
• Solar backup generators for frequent, crippling power outages
• New shoes— for many, their first pair
• New school uniforms
• New set of regular clothes
• Umbrellas for rainy seasons
• Various school & art supplies
• Desks & chairs for home study time
• Various hygiene items for every child
• New guitars and other instruments
• New beds, mattresses, bedding (many upgrading from floor mats)
• Mosquito netting for beds
• Bicycles for orphanage staff members
• New play equipment like soccer balls, bats, etc.

For when the ear heard, it called me blessed, and when the eye saw, it gave witness of me, because I delivered the poor who cried for help, and the orphan who had no helper. The blessing of the one ready to perish came upon me, and I made the widow's heart sing for joy. —Job 29:11-13

Take Action:
[ click here for full story or to make a contribution to this fund today ]

India orphanage school building expansion funded; construction underway

2011-04-15T13:07:00.005-06:00

In response to government requirements regarding the official status of our orphanage school in India, donors generously contributed toward the expansion and upgrade of the facility. As funds started to come in, our staff and children took part in a low-key but joyful ground-breaking ceremony, and construction was underway shortly thereafter in the month of February. By the beginning of April, the project was fully funded; construction will continue at a steady pace over the next 2 to 3 months.

The newly expanded building will offer a kitchen and dining hall on the ground floor, and a second floor with 7 classrooms and 2 offices. Previously, the classes were overcrowded and inadequately equipped with just 3 classrooms and one office for the teachers. The new construction will allow for our first permanent kitchen and dining hall on the campus, allowing for vastly increased ability to maintain sanitation and order for meal preparation and dining. We're excited about this project because it has taken us a strong leap further in our vision to raise the standard of care for these whom the scriptures proclaim are very dear to God's heart. We will keep you posted on the progress of the new building as it develops!

Take action:
[ sponsor an orphan from India for only $6/week or $24/month ]
[ empower our native team in India by sponsoring a water buffalo at their dairy farm ]

Ginger harvest at our Nepal farmland enterprise provides for several needs at the orphanage

2011-04-14T15:21:00.006-06:00

After several months of patient and faithful maintenance of their ginger crop, our native team in Nepal have successfully brought in their first harvest! The crop was planted in April of 2010 and was allowed additional months to mature in order to receive the best price at market. The proceeds were used to buy several essential supplies and a new computer for the orphanage. This computer will greatly aid in the education of the 12 orphans currently living at our small orphanage home in Kathmandu.

In addition to operating the orphanage, our native team conducts an ongoing women's business development program among some of the most destitute women in Asia. If you'd like to get involved in supporting the growth of our Nepal orphanage or women's business development programs, please take one of the below actions today!

Take action:
[ sponsor an orphan from Nepal for only $6/week or $24/month ]
[ sponsor the startup of a small business for a destitute woman in Nepal for only $29 ]
[ join our team on Crowdrise and start a fundraiser of your own for this cause ]

Crowdrise provides a fun and easy way for our supporters to become Peace Gospel fundraisers

2011-04-12T14:45:00.002-06:00

Our new collaboration with a site called Crowdrise.com will allow you to easily raise funds and awareness for Peace Gospel projects through a fun and easy to use platform. They provide you with two options: 1) Easy: Just choose one of our existing projects and join the team to help us reach a specific goal, then recruit friends and family to donate toward the goal. If they choose, they can also join your team to help raise funds for the same project. Or, 2) If you're feeling more creative: start your own project from scratch by focusing on your favorite Peace Gospel program, set your own goal, and follow the same steps as in the first option. The very exciting point is, Crowdrise empowers you to raise funds and awareness for the Peace Gospel programs that resonate with you, while allowing you to represent it to your friends in a way you feel will resonate with them, all in a very personal and fun way. We're excited about Crowdrise because we believe it allows you an easy and very effective way to make an exponential impact in our work. It also parallels our mantra of empowerment— empowering you to empower native missions in Asia & Africa!

Take Action:
[ visit our Crowdrise page today and start your own fundraiser! ]

SwipeGood allows donors to make lasting change with spare change, electronically

2011-04-12T12:37:00.005-06:00

Peace Gospel is now one of about 500 nonprofit organizations benefiting from SwipeGood, a new service that allows you to donate your spare change to charity each time you buy. Here’s how SwipeGood works. Once you enroll your credit/debit card with SwipeGood and choose Peace Gospel as your beneficiary, every purchase you make gets rounded up to the nearest dollar. So for a $51.75 purchase of groceries, $0.25 is given to Peace Gospel. At the end of the month, SwipeGood sends your total donation amount to Peace Gospel. However, you can choose to set a monthly cap on how much gets donated, so you're in complete control. To participate in SwipeGood, you just enroll your credit card and the service will track your purchases, similar to the way Mint.com works.

Take Action:
[ Create lasting change with spare change: sign up for SwipeGood today ]

Empowered to reach their own: Myanmar team delivers food to famine-hit remote villages

2011-04-11T14:32:00.006-06:00

Another story of empowerment from our tireless trekking native team in Myanmar takes us through remote villages plagued by recent famines. Our team, hailing from the capital city of Rangon, has felt called to focus their church planting and outreach efforts to one specific people group of the Chin state. [People group name withheld for security reasons; the Myanmar government regime is on a crackdown of faith-based or internationally funded relief efforts]. Our team routinely visits this remote area, conducting education, literature distribution, and humanitarian relief programs for the impoverished, primitive people of this area.

Thanks to to the continued profitability of our native team's piggery over the past several months, tons of food supplies have been delivered to this famine-stricken area. A quick Google search for "rat infestations Myanmar" will return myriad news reports on the continuing problem being faced by the rural poor in this region. While the people go on in this struggle alone, the government denies funding and/or physical aid deliveries for this crisis. However, due to the unique nature of our empowerment model, our native team stands ready and equipped to reach their own. This is in large part thanks to your generous support of our effort to partner with and empower our native team in Myanmar... to reach their own... to be the hands of feet of Jesus for those in crisis.

"For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat..." -Matthew 25:35

Take Action:
[ make a personal appeal: join our online fundraising team at Crowdrise ]
[ empower devastated Myanmar farmers with seeds to replant lost crops ]
[ empower our native team by sponsoring a piglet at their piggery ]
[ sponsor a Myanmar orphan for only $6/week or $24/month ]

29 Ugandan orphans awaiting sponsorship

2011-03-31T13:43:00.003-06:00

Our native team in Uganda continues to reach out to "the least of these" in the remote Mayuge district, where over 50% of the population is under the age of 14. We've recently updated our orphan sponsorship pages, adding the 29 Ugandan orphans our team has registered as orphans awaiting entry into their program. You can sponsor one of these children for only $288/year, $24/month, or $6/week.

When you sponsor a Peace Gospel orphan, you can enjoy the unique experience of interacting with your sponsored child through a private blog maintained specifically for you and the child. As you post comments on recent photos and updates about your sponsored child, we'll keep the child posted on your own updates and prayer requests. We're able to keep our sponsorship costs low due to the fact that our organization multiplies donor funds through various micro-enterprise efforts.

Take Action:
[ forever change a child's life: sponsor a Ugandan orphan today ]
[ make a contribution toward our Uganda orphanage school building fund ]