12 Jan Women Who Change the Future by Michele Rickett
Lena was among the most vulnerable children in her community. She had been abandoned by her parents at age 8 and taken in by a man who promised to care of her. Not only did he abuse her, but he put her to work as a gravel maker in the mind-numbing heat of India.
When we began ministering to the women in Lena’s village, they introduced a host of empowering ideas and skills in their weekly meetings: income-generation, saving and lending, health, nutrition and anti-trafficking information. The women were excited for the changes this meant for their families – especially for their daughters. At last, they could afford to send their daughters to school, rather than keeping them home to work, marry or be sold.
As part of the She Is Safe program, women learned to set aside funds together to “give out of gratitude”. They began to pray for ways to invest their benevolence in a way that would create change for other vulnerable girls in order to help shape the future. Local women began to open their eyes and hearts to girls like Lena – the “forgotten girls” in their community.
The women made it their mission to organize and lobby house-to-house for Lena and all other girls to be in school. In time, their efforts paid off with a shining example. Lena was allowed to go to school, and outpaced all other students on standardized tests, winning a scholarship from the India government all the way through her education. Though the women in her village may seem poor by our standards, they are a powerful force for shaping a future of freedom. With our advantages, imagine if we each took some part in the mission to free and equip vulnerable girls?
Though Lena lives in India, her story could be told millions of times over everywhere around the world. Vulnerable girls and women are the most frequently exploited individuals in the world as attested in the 2018 Trafficking in Persons Report by the State Department. The report shows that the overwhelming majority of (30-40 million) slaves are women and girls, with a staggering 99% of all sex slaves female. View the 2021 report here.
The award-winning InterVarsity Press book, Forgotten Girls, tells the stories of hope and courage of exploited girls and offers discussion questions, prayer and action points so that any of us can join in as modern-day abolitionists and advocates for otherwise forgotten girls. Check out the website (SheIsSafe.org) to order the book, and consider signing up to learn more, visit She Is Safe headquarters and advocate for forgotten girls near and far. This month is a hands on school supply drive for at-risk children that you, your family and friends can join. I invite you to take a simple step and contact us to see the powerful contribution you can make. We need every person to take some part in creating a safer, stronger future – free of abuse and slavery.
About the author: Michele’s introduction to modern slavery began in the 1980s when she learned of the abuse and slavery of girls and women. What she learned led to founding of She Is Safe 15 years ago. The Roswell-based organization is now in 7 countries providing prevention, rescue and restoration to over 17,000 individuals each year. She is a frequent speaker and media guest on the topics of abuse, slavery and living out gratitude. To visit the headquarters or book Michele email her assistant, Patricia at pcolino@SheIsSafe.org.
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