MERRY CHRISTMAS!
In this beautiful time of the year it is my hope that each of you will feel an extra amount of love, grace and hope in your every day lives.
Three years ago, Orphan Relief and Rescue embarked on an experiment to try to curb the slave trade of children in some of the largest child trafficking villages in Benin, West Africa. To our shock and amazement this experiment worked and now hundreds of kids are being rescued and intercepted from being sold into slavery. Families of many of these children are being given a renewed hope for a healthy future.
It never ceases to amaze me that simple acts of kindness such as speaking a caring word, sharing our resources, or extending mercy to those in difficult situations, can actually change the course of someone’s life.
In Benin, a mother who recently came into our micro finance program has begun to completely change her life through these simple acts of kindness. She is not only getting a loan from Orphan Relief and Rescue to start a business, but has also learned about a God who loves her and who values life and her family. She is now working to retrieve her daughters out of slavery, ages 10 and 11, whom she sold because she could not feed them. Within the next week her young daughters will be free. It is hard to wrap my mind around what life will be like for these two young girls who have been slaves for years, and really do not even know what true freedom looks like.
For many of the girls whom we have rescued their stories are unbelievable. Many had to work 14 to16 hour days, were beaten daily, and never had enough food to eat unless they provided sexual favors for the men around them. When brought into freedom, their lifeless eyes become bright and full of life. There is nothing more amazing than watching these beautiful transformation stories unfold before us.
Thank you for enabling us to accomplish these endeavors through your giving and praying. We are so grateful to each of you for your acts of kindness. Together, with God’s help, we are facilitating this EXTRAORDINARY WORK to be done!!!
As we draw a close to 2016, we would love for you to remember Orphan Relief and Rescue in your end of the year giving. Every dollar given is utilized to the fullest, as you will see in the below report.
Through your partnership:
Benin:
254 children have been intercepted from being sold into slavery.
175 women have received loans to enable them to have thriving businesses on our micro finance program.
39 children have been brought out of slavery.
61 children are thriving in our Orphanage Safe Home. Numerous rescued children are now in foster care and apprenticeships.
Liberia:
4 orphanages have graduated from our Relief program and are now all self-sustaining.
Through our Greater Opportunity Mentorship and Education program we are helping 112 orphan children through Jr. High, High School, and University.
Government relationships remain strong and we continue to sit on the Child Protection committee.