Day In the Life of Our On-The-Ground Heroes

Here is a glimpse into a day in the life of our on-the-ground heroes…

Recently, a 9-year-old girl in our feeding and education program—already identified as high-risk—went missing from school. Our monitor, who conducts daily roll calls to ensure no child disappears unnoticed, immediately recognized her absence.

Rather than assuming she was simply sick, the monitor went to her home.

What she discovered was heartbreaking.

The girl had already been promised to a man in exchange for money. Her mother, overwhelmed by debt and hardship, had arranged for her daughter to be trafficked that very day.

Our monitor acted immediately. She firmly warned the mother that trafficking her child would result in police involvement

and imprisonment. The mother, desperate, explained she had no food for her other children and no way to repay her debts.

Still, our monitor did not walk away.

She returned shortly after with food to meet the family’s immediate needs. But even then, the mother insisted her situation remained unresolved and she intended to go through with the plan to traffic her daughter.

Our monitor stood her ground again—protecting the child while also offering alternatives. She encouraged the mother to seek help from social welfare services and even the police for guidance. She reminded her that her daughter is now under Orphan Relief and Rescue’s protection and cannot simply be removed from the program.

She also invited the mother to join a community savings and loans group, helping her begin a small business and find a sustainable way forward—one that does not involve selling her child.

Because of this intervention, another life was saved.

Our team will continue to monitor this situation closely. Without their presence that day, this little girl would have disappeared into a life of slavery.

It’s important to understand: many of these parents are not acting out of cruelty, but out of desperation. For generations, this has been seen as a way to survive. Together, we are working to break that cycle—replacing it with hope, dignity, and opportunity.