Women at Risk International
Last year, I had the extreme blessing and heart-wrenching burden of writing my senior college thesis on the reality of human trafficking. While I was doing my research, I came across this most amazing organization called Women at Risk International (WAR Int'l). This organization has its hands in so many different ways of reaching out to men, women, and children in abusive and trafficking situations and people who are at risk of getting into them. I also realized that they are centered in Rockford, MI, right around the corner from me in Grand Rapids, MI. These people have a goat donation program where they donate goats and cows to women in Sudan and other parts of Africa in order to give them status and help them earn a living for their family. By doing this, they are giving them a way out of prostitution.
Many of the women WAR Int'l works with are women who have no way of surviving except to go into prostitution. Even if these women weren't "tricked" into prostitution, they are forced into it for monetary reasons. Other women are rescued from brothels in Thailand and Laos, and given a second chance, working making jewelry that is sold in the U.S. or making jute tote bags and selling them in the market. The possibilities are endless when it comes to helping the vulnerable. My paper last year was about the new missiological approach of BAM, Business as Mission. WAR, Int'l is using this approach in many of their ministries. They use business to bring about the Kingdom of God. They use a for-profit business to get women out of trafficking situations and rehabilitate them.
Its amazing at how missions is changing. It shows that you don't need to be a Bible School educated, seminary graduate living in the desert to be a missionary. You can be a missionary by hosting a jewelry party in your home in Rockford, Michigan, or you can move to Thailand and train ex-prostitutes to make bracelets. All for the cause of Christ.
