Trafficking Survivor Pursues Counseling Degree After Send Relief Project

Most women caught up in South Asia’s sex trafficking industry have had little to no access to formal education or job training. Many have been estranged from their family and separated from friends to ensure they stay reliant on the sex trade for their entire existence.

Girls forced into the industry at a young age are often deprived of their identity, literally and metaphorically. They never receive official government paperwork or an ID card from their handlers, so they cannot prove their place of residence or family affiliations, much less apply for jobs.

After years of this treatment, many women arrive at a place of permanent hopelessness. They either take their lives or resign to their ostracization from society.

One of these women, Adinda, hadn’t seen her family in over 30 years because she felt shame about her work. With no identification papers, Adinda could not apply for government assistance or obtain the health care she desperately needed after decades of her body experiencing abuse.

Then, Adinda learned about Send Relief’s job training program for women trapped in sexual exploitation. After enrolling and taking several classes, she received encouragement from one of our staff members to reconnect with her family to ask if they could help her obtain an ID card so she could begin pursuing another career.

After many years of separation, Adinda felt terrified to reach out. What if they still didn’t want her as part of the family?

After a national partner in the region prayed over her, Adinda found the courage to visit them. Much to her surprise, she discovered her family not only wanted to help her with the paperwork but also felt excited to reconnect!

Adinda called our national partner after the reunion and told her, “Thank you so much! If it weren’t for you and the job training, I never would have approached my family, and they would never have had the opportunity to accept me.”

Adinda got her family back. And today, she’s studying at a university in America to receive a counseling degree so she can one day return home and help fellow trafficking survivors work through their trauma.

We hope this new chapter of Adinda’s life will lead her to Jesus. We could not be more thankful that this occupational training led to such a meaningful relationship. If you want to help more women like Adinda escape sexual exploitation and gain access to valuable job skills programs, please give below today.