Prevent Child Trafficking Through Education

As 2014 comes to a close I’m feeling so grateful for another year of profoundly meaningful and impactful work with The SOLD Project. We continue to learn that prevention works! In a village where more than half of the young boys and girls used to drop out of grade school and were at high risk of sex trafficking, 84 of the 129 children in our scholarship program are now pursuing higher education—and 95% have stayed in school.

While our growth and success is encouraging, I continue to be most inspired by the stories of the children we work with. One of these stories is of fifteen year old Faa*, when she reminded me that prevention work is not a linear task: it requires walking alongside of our students as they face daily battles in their lives. Faa* has been receiving a scholarship from SOLD since 2008 and has been an active participant in our programs. Earlier this year her family forced her into a marriage with an older man - a marriage she did not want. With the support of The SOLD Project’s scholarship and counseling team, her family received the counseling and guidance needed to help Faa* stay on the path of education. 

Another story is of Fep*, one of our recent University graduates. When I first read Fep’s story – he grew up undocumented and the son of a drug dealer – I was moved to tears by his commitment to education as a means to help his people. Today, six years later, he has graduated with a law degree and received his citizenship. His dream is to practice law to bring justice to others in his similar situation. 

Your contributions to The SOLD Project has affected the lives of an entire community and, with your help, the story of how prevention is breaking the cycle of poverty and freeing children from a future of exploitation continues to spread.

Thank you so much for continuing to support The FREEDOM Project's work to prevent child exploitation.