Yesterday, I blogged about My Refuge House– a home in Cebu, Philippines created to be a safe environment for girls who have been rescued from commercial sexual exploitation, human trafficking, and sexual abuse. I interviewed Kim Jones, the Director of Engagement, who conducts speaking engagements (education about human trafficking), events and acts as a My Refuge House correspondent to partners and churches.
H: What motivated you to working with My Refuge House?
K: About 6 or 7 years ago I was watching an interview with Ashley Judd and Madeleine Albright and the two words, “human trafficking” came up. I really had no idea what it was and so I immediately went to the internet and “googled” it. I was astounded by what I came across and thought “what could a mom do?” and “this is way too overwhelming for me.” I began reading and writing about what I was learning. I knew others needed to know too. Eventually my friend, Heather Crane (wife of PGA golfer, Ben Crane) and I started to pursue different avenues-we traveled all over SE Asia learning more about the breadth and complexity of the problem. We visited red districts, karaoke bars, and then ministries and organizations that were standing as light in the middle of this huge problem. After that trip I was never the same. Ever since then God has been my guide and has continued to open doors. One of those doors was My Refuge House.
H: What kinds of changes have you seen in the girls who are a part of this program?
K: One of the most profound changes I see, are the eyes. I know that might sound kind of strange, but when our girls first arrive there’s real sadness that you can see in their eyes. It’s not just their eyes.. it’s their countenance, their body language. However, after a few months, it’s as if they’re different girls. This doesn’t mean that they’re not continuing to struggle and feel great sadness. What these girls have experienced doesn’t go away overnight. What I see in their eyes is a feeling of safety, joy, & anticipation. When our girls finish their time with us they can go out and become who they were intended to be. Just a few months ago we had 4 girls graduate from high school. That’s HUGE!!! These same girls who had no hope when they first arrived are now talking about their future!
H: Besides attending Fashioned for Freedom on October 9th, what can people do to contribute?
K: First, what do their contributions go to? There is an existing cottage that My Refuge House completed in January of this year. Construction on a second cottage is well underway and should be finished very soon! So between the two cottages, 12 girls will be provided food and shelter, medical, education, and spiritual care, thus enabling them to stand on their own when they graduate. All the funds raised from the Fashioned for Freedom event will provide care to these 12 girls. That includes ticket sales and funds raised with the purse raffles we’ll have at the show and any other donations that participants provide.
After the event we would love to stay connected to those that are interested in the work of My Refuge House. We’ve partnered with The Fashion Project, a great way to clean out your closet and donate your clothing. A portion of the proceeds will go directly to My Refuge House. You can also choose to adopt one our girls. Through the donation of $480 a month you can cover ALL of her needs. You can find all of our donor/sponsorship information here.
H: What is your hope for My Refuge House in the future?
K: First and foremost my hope is for our girls. I hope they will live a life that reflects the beautiful creation that they are. I hope they will continue to grow and become everything they were intended to be. We also would hope to share the knowledge that we’ve learned at My Refuge House. Share the beauty of our model with other organizations in SE Asia, but also across the globe. It’s amazing that it was just a small group of concerned people, in California, in 2008, that chose to build My Refuge House. They chose to give what they had to create this wonderful organization. It reminds me of the quote by Margaret Mead, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”
*If you’re local to Dallas, don’t miss the Fashioned for Freedom event on Thursday, Oct. 9th! Get your tickets here.
1
Leave a Reply