ENA Continues the Fight to Stop Sex Trafficking

Anti-Slavery Human Trafficking Update!

In 2014 Engage Now Africa created a new anti-slavery initiative to address trafficking issues in our own back yard. Our domestic program is called Engage Now America and was created to help eradicate sex trafficking or slavery, specifically among child victims here in the USA.

Phoenix April 6, 2014

Pictured above is Chris Gay, ENA's West Africa Director, along with Shared Hope International founder Linda Smith after a meeting at Swift Transportation about stopping sex trafficking in the trucking industry here in US. ENA was able to bring Swift and Shared Hope International, who is a leader in this field, together.

Victims

Many of America's children are being used in the commercial sex industry. Children who are exploited through prostitution, pornography and sexual entertainment are victims of domestic minor sex trafficking. Traffickers recruit at locations that commonly attract youth; like schools, malls, parks, online and even protective shelters and group homes. Traffickers pray on vulnerable youth with histories of abuse, runaways, homelessness, and throwaways, lonely or disconnected. Warning signs are having a significantly older boyfriend, traveling with an older male who is not their guardian, special marked tattoos, substance abuse, signs of trauma, and multiple delinquent charges. Victims can be anybody's daughter, niece, cousin, friend, or neighbor. Boys can be victims as well. 

So in an effort to further help these victims and eradicate domestic minor sex trafficking (DMST) in our own back yard, ENA Director, Chris Gay kept the momentum that was leftover from his last meeting with Swift transportation going. This time he helped organize a second follow up meeting with Linda Smith, President/Director/Founder, SHI (Shared Hope International), Nick Lembo, Board of Directors SHI, Co-Chair Defenders theMen of SHI and Taryn Offenbacher, Communications Director, SHI.

Also in attendance was Jerry Moyes, CEO of Swift Transportation, Nate Rowland, Training & Development Specialist for Swift and Jim Stone, Executive Director of Swift charities. We gathered together in an effort to discuss how to best eradicate sex trafficking here in America, specifically within the trucking industry where it is a big problem.

Vision & Leaders

ENA recognizes the courage it takes to look at difficult issues and values Swift Transportation's ability and desire to do this. Especially Jerry Moyes who gave his blessing to allow a collaborating with SHI so new training materials can be developed for Swift truckers. They are now a leader in the fight against sex trafficking of minors within the trucking industry and paving the way to better help victims on a greater scale. We also recognize that not all truckers are a part of the sex trafficking problem in this country. In fact we know that there are many brave and decent truckers out there that have helped and continue to help victims of sex trafficking.

However ENA & SHI want to empower many more truck drivers not just in Swift but hopefully in the other large trucking companies that exist. We plan on shining a spotlight upon this serious problem by raising awareness and providing avenues for those currently involved in creating the demand to change their ways.

It is the beginning of a beautiful collaboration to help victims in our backyard and we thank Swift and SHI for their time and dedication! More news to come.

Watch "Chosen", and how an honor-roll, cheerleader student was recruited bytraffickers.

Ghana- 2014 Goal Accomplished

Engage Now Africa is thrilled to announce that we have already met our 2014 goal of having ten wells drilled in Northern Ghana!!

 Pictured above is Chris Gay, ENA West Africa Director, with Moro, Joe and Dagando from our staff in Ghana just before entering the field to check up on a well that was just completed.

 Our staff in Ghana is currently constructing cement foundations like the one pictured below, attaching the pumps and making signboards for each of the ten wells!

Namibia- Orphan Relief Effort

NYANGANA ORPHANS 

AND VULNERABLE CHILDREN

The orphan population of Nyangana at Kavango Region in Namibia has been increasing at an alarming rate. ENA has learned of the current issues the orphans in this region face and is busy implementing a plan of action to help.

Orphans from the village of Nyangana

In order to properly assess the needs of these orphans and meet their educational goals, Engage Now Africa just completed a survey of 500 households in the Nyangana village. We found 270 orphans and vulnerable children that we are committed to helping and educating.  

An orphan being cared for by his grandmother

90% of these children are composed of AIDS-affected orphans and vulnerable children.  In addition to AIDS, the other issues these children are currently facing are: poverty, hunger, abuse and an expressed need for psycho-social support. About 80% of these AIDS-affected children are living with a grandmother or care taker who is unable to provide for their basic and educational needs. This unfortunate trend will deepen household poverty and threaten future generations if nothing is done to help. That is why ENA has is committed to an educationally based support system. 

The support strategy that we are currently implementing includes the following:

• Providing school materials (books, pens, pencils and schools bags)
• Providing uniforms and shoes
• Paying school development funds(tuition)
• Working with the school and community to educate and support additional psychological, nutritional and behavioral needs
• Tracking the needs and progress of each orphan so they can receive a primary, secondary and high school education. 

Orphans in the village of Nyangana

We look forward to continuing our efforts to educate these orphans and keeping you updated on their progress! 

Ethiopia- Orphan Report and Update

Engage Now Africa is currently sponsoring 217 orphans living in 14 different villages. ENA's goal is to track all of these orphans through their education because our ultimate goal is to have them move onto college.  Once they have graduated from Primary school (grades 1-4) they will move onto Secondary school (5-9).  At that time the children are tested and if they pass they can move onto college.  Those that score exceptionally well can qualify for University.  Each semester every child is tested and either moves onto the next grade and if not they can remain in that grade until their test scores are adequate.  

ENA will be able to work closely with the schools to identify any problems and help this child with whatever he may require.  Often times it is because they have missed too much school  We are hopeful our uniform program will help add credence with their caretakers as to the importance of their everyday schooling.

 Diana Bingham, ENA's East Africa Director, identified orphans in the area last year and had them each measured for uniforms.

On March 12, 2014 Diana Bingham, ENA's East Africa Director, met with the Director of the Hildi School in Debre Zeit.  Hildi is a "cluster" resource center, which means that Hildi is the headquarters for ten schools.  ENA sponsors 42 orphans in this cluster.  

Diana arrived in the afternoon and gave the orphans that attended school in the afternoon their uniforms.  Their uniform bag consisted of two complete uniforms (either two pairs or pants or two skirts and two shirts).  A pair of custom made leather shoes, 12 notebooks, pens and pencils. Although the children's feet were measured, almost all of them claimed their shoes were too small  Although they were the correct size and a bit too big for growing room, this was because they had never worn closed toed shoes.  They had either been barefoot or worn "flip flops".  After much discussion about it they became very happy and all were extremely grateful and proud to be wearing a uniform for the first time. It was a wonderful experience to help dress the children in their uniforms and watch their faces as they each grew a huge smile once they had them on.  They felt very validated and proud to own a uniform.  ENA will follow up with the cluster headquarters and receive a report as to their schooling and progress.

The uniforms ENA measured and ordered for them arrived!!

We wish to thank Reuters for their generous donation and helping to make this possible!

We believe this a a worthwhile and sustainable program and hope we can continue for the next several years so that each one of these orphans receive the education every child deserves.

ENA's Anti - Slavery Initiative

A couple of years ago Sterling Tanner, Executive Director of the Forever Young Foundation http://www.foreveryoung.org/ , a partner organization of Engage Now Africa introduced Chris Gay, ENA Director to Jim Stone, Executive Director of Swift charities http://swiftcharities.org/ and then to Jerry Moyes, founder and CEO of Swift http://www.swifttrans.com/ . Those introductions created an important foundation that recently led ENA back to Swift Charities, The Defenders of SHI (Shared Hope International) joining together in a new partnership with the goal of eradicating sex trafficking here in America.

Engage Now Africa has been very busy since it launched its new anti-slavery initiative at the beginning of this year http://engagenowafrica.org/solutions/anti-slavery/ , created in response to the growing scourge of slavery and human trafficking in all its horrific forms occurring in Africa and here in the USA, in particular domestic minor sex trafficking (DMST), which is the commercial sexual exploitation of children through buying, selling, or trading their sexual services. Forms of DMST include prostitution, pornography, stripping and other sexual acts.

At least 100,000 American children are being exploited through pornography or prostitution every year. The ages of trafficked children vary. The average age a child is first exploited through prostitution is 13 years old, though children as young as infants have been identified in pornography. America’s fascination with pornography and prostitution is linked to demand. Those who purchase sex or pornography are fueling the commercial sex industry and contributing to the exploitation of American’s children. Buyers come from all ages, occupations, and ethnicities. It is important that we share these facts in order to raise awareness so others can get engaged and help eradicate slavery and human trafficking in any of its vile manifestations. To learn more visit http://sharedhope.org/

The first big step occurred last April when Chris represented ENA at the Shared Hope International Just conference in Washington, DC. This was where ENA learned that The Defenders were working to get an audio book called Renting Lacy, https://sharedhope.org/store/audiobook-renting-lacy/ into the trucking industry so truckers could educate themselves on the reality of sex trafficking in America. After Chris left the conference he knew ENA could do more to help. After all he too has taken the Defender pledge and has been part of the movement for past few years. For those that do not know, The Defenders, http://sharedhope.org/join-the-cause/become-a-defender/ are men who have come to understand the marketplace of commercial sexual exploitation and are committed to doing everything in their power to stop that exploitation. He also received the support and encouragement from Nick Lembo, Board of Directors Shared Hope International, Co-Chair Defenders the Men of Shared Hope.

After remembering he actually knew some people in the trucking industry and not just somebody but the largest truck transportation company in the USA Chris reached out and contacted Mr. Jim Stone. The next thing he knew he was in Phoenix, AZ meeting face to face with Swift Charities, the formal charitable arm of Swift Transportation and discussing with them how the trucking industry can help to combat the scourge of human sex trafficking happening here in the USA. The timing was perfect. Arizona was actually in the process of really preparing itself for the upcoming Superbowl and doing all that it can now to prevent buyers and traffickers from exploiting victims.  

Swift was great. They gave Chris a tour of their headquarters, he even had the opportunity to drive a truck in their simulator and did quite well until he had a blowout and crashed. Jim also organized a visit to a local residential care facility in Phoenix called Streetlight USA; http://streetlightusa.org/  helping girls aged 11-17 that have been victims of child sex trafficking and/or sexual exploitation. Also later in the day they attended a luncheon with the US ambassador, Louis Debaca, from the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons who was spoke to a powerful crowd about the problems of human trafficking in Arizona and elsewhere and ways organizations and various departments can work together to end demand. The day ended with Swift and ENA talking on the phone with Nick from The Defenders and a lot of progress was made.

As of right now Swift is scheduled to meet face to face with Nick from the Defenders and Linda Smith, founder SHI and their Communications Director this coming April to create training systems and develop plans that could help Swift staff understand trafficking issues around the country.

It is true that children are being forced, manipulated and abused at the hands of pimps who control them and sell them to truckers at truck stops every night across America. It is also true that there are truckers out there actually preventing this from occurring because they are aware of the signs of a victim. A huge part of the problem is not recognizing the signs that an individual is being trafficked. This is why the book and audio CD Renting Lacy is so crucial. It will help educate men and specifically truckers about real victims; they will hear these stories and more. So with greater collaboration, training and support we can be a part of the solution in ending demand. End demand and help victims that are forced to work at truck stops across the USA and elsewhere. That is the goal. Join with us in the global fight against slavery and human trafficking today. http://engagenowafrica.org/get-engaged/volunteer/

 

From the New York Times March, 15, 2014:

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/15/world/asia/trapped-between-home-and-refuge-burmese-muslims-are-brutalized.html?ref=todayspaper&_r=1

Sierra Leone- Completion of the Lyn Maternal Clinic!!!

We are excited to show you the completion ENA's Lyn Maternal Clinic in Bo, Sierra Leone! This new building will not only allow us to help even more women, children and infants, but will also serve thousands of local residents with its full service pharmacy and lab.

 

Although the building was just completed, it has already delivered over 30 babies and served over 530 children and 460 adults with immunizations, malaria treatments, scans, Oncho treatment for Filarial worms, H.I.V. treatment and food distribution to pregnant women, lactating women and children.

 

The clinic is not only a blessing to everyone who uses the clinic, but it is admired by all those who live nearby as a beautiful addition to the city. Thank you to everyone who helped us complete this amazing project that will bless the lives of thousands for years to come!

Ethiopia: Shama Laka High School is Complete!!!

We are thrilled to announce that the high school we began constructing last year in Shama Laka is now complete!!!

 When we first mentioned our building plans, we were only able to post pictures of the very beginning stages of the foundation.

But, after a lot of work and a very generous donation, the high school is now up and running!

 

Both boys and girls will now be able to attend classes in the 9th and 10th grades. In Ethiopia, high school is only 9th and 10th grade. Upon graduation, they will then attend a Preparatory School for 11th and 12th grades.

This is the first time girls have ever been able to attend high school in the area. Until Shama Laka High School was constructed, there was only one other high school available to them. But, it was located over 4 miles away and traveling to it was very unsafe for females. As a result, families were choosing to forgo their daughters' educations and keep them at home. Thankfully, these girls are now able to safely attend their classes and receive a high school education. This education will open doors and opportunities to them that will bless their lives for years to come.  

Here are some pictures of Shama Laka High Shool over the past year during the building process.....

And here is Shama Laka High School upon completion!!!

 

Currently, there are eighty six 9th grade students with ages ranging from 16 to 20 years old. We are looking forward to welcoming even more students next year when we will have both 9th and 10th grade students attending classes. 

 

There are currently five instructors (Four male and one female) teaching courses at the school. The subjects that they are teaching are Amharic (the native language), English, math, biology, physics, chemistry, history, civics and sports education.

Once again, thank you to everyone who helped make this high school a reality. Thanks to you, thousands of boys and girls will now have a high school education and a brighter future!

 

If you would like to donate to similar projects or find out more about Engage Now Africa's current projects, please visit us at www.engagenowafrica.org