Housing for Women leaving the Sex Industry

Hello everyone,

It is time for another update from all of us here at Tamar. Thank you so much for your continued support of our Housing Project. Your generosity is absolutely vital to our work, and we have seen the direct impact of it over the last few weeks.

Recently, three new women made the brave choice to move out of the bars and into Tamar Housing. Together with three other women who joined us a bit earlier, they officially began our latest Tamar Vocational and Life Skills Training Program at the start of July. This three-month program prepares them to leave the bars behind for good by providing vocational training, counseling, and the foundational tools they need to stand on their own two feet.

Thanks to your support, we were able to welcome all of them into our housing, where they will stay for the duration of the training—and likely longer, if they choose. Before coming to us, some of these women had no place to live at all. In fact, we picked one woman up from the side of the road after she was fired from a bar for not bringing in enough customers. Hearing her story was heartbreaking. But today, she is settled, doing well, and we are full of hope that this training will guide her toward a much brighter future.

With these new arrivals, we are officially running out of space and are on the hunt for a new house to rent. We currently have 22 women and several of their children in our program, and we urgently need more beds. We hope to find an additional house to rent very soon.

A Special Opportunity to Double Your Impact

Today, I also want to share an incredible opportunity to make your support go even further. On Wednesday, July 15, GlobalGiving is hosting its July Bonus Day campaign.

During this 24-hour window, donations of $100 or more will help unlock matching funds from GlobalGiving for the Tamar Housing Project. The larger the gift, the higher the matching percentage we receive to power our impact!

• When: Wednesday, July 15, starting at 10:00 AM EDT / 9:00 PM ICT (Thailand time) for 24 hours.
• Where: [Insert your GlobalGiving Project Link Here]

Thank you so much for your faithful partnership, both past and future. We could not do this without you.

With gratitude,

The Tamar Family

Water Fights and New Beginnings: An Update from Thailand

Sawadee ka! Greetings from Thailand!

We are currently celebrating Songkran, the Thai New Year. It’s famous for being the world’s biggest water fight, and for good reason—the entire city becomes a play area! You can’t step outside without getting drenched, but in this heat, it’s a welcome way to cool down. We’ve been out in our pickup truck with a giant water barrel, splashing through the streets alongside hundreds of others. The kids are having the time of their lives!

Once the festivities wrap up, we’ll begin preparing for our annual three-month Vocational and Life Training. While we usually start in May, we are shifting our start date to July this year. This allows us to use the "low season" in May and June to focus on outreach to women currently working in the bars, inviting them to join the upcoming program.

We have some bittersweet news to share: at the end of March, one of our residents returned home. Her family needed her, and she was ready to step back into her role as a mother. Thanks to the Job Training and Barista certificates she earned while with us, she has planning to start a job at a café in her hometown! She left her housing absolutely spotless—a small but beautiful sign of the pride she takes in her life.

We also recently welcomed back three women who completed six-month specialized trainings. With our housing now close to capacity and new women expected for the July program, we are actively looking to rent another house on our street. We are currently in talks with local owners and hope to secure a new space soon.

Thank You Your support makes this housing project possible. You aren’t just providing a roof; you are giving women and their children a safe haven to heal, learn, and prepare for a fresh start. On behalf of the woman who just launched her new career and the many others still with us, thank you for being part of the Tamar Family.

Warmly, The Tamar Family