ADRA's Keep Girls Safe initiative has been a refuge for many young girls in Thailand. Let's visit them to hear how one girl's life was transformed!
“Title: * Name has been changed.*”
A year ago, bright-eyed, slender, nine-year-old Malee (pronounced Molly) was offered refuge at ADRA’s all-girls shelter called Keep Girls Safe, or KGS.
Her mom didn’t want her, and local villagers couldn’t keep her.
Most of the girls who come to KGS have been abused, orphaned, abandoned, or are at-risk for human trafficking. For girls ages 8 through 18 who have nowhere else to go, KGS serves as a temporary means of protection.
The girls keep busy doing household chores, and are encouraged to attend school. Malee helps around the shelter, sweeping the floors, washing dishes, or gardening. Before she came here, Malee had a hard and unsettling life.
With no money and no home, Malee’s mother turned to prostitution to survive and provide for Malee. While they were living in the slum, Malee’s mother got pregnant again. She couldn’t bear the responsibility of caring for two children and looked for help.
She reached out to an older couple who lived in a local village with their seven children She pleaded with them to take Malee in, promising to send them money to care for her. The older couple agreed but never heard from Malee’s mother again.
Food became scarce for the family, so Malee had to find food in trash cans, steal from the temple sacrifices, or beg.Village leaders took compassion on her and diligently searched for a foster family to care for her. But no one stepped forward so they turned to KGS for help.
KGS took Malee in, patiently working with her through her struggles. She had counseling sessions, did chores, and attended school and church. Along with the local Adventist church, those around Malee ensure she receives a good education, care, and love.
this prominent local problem.
KGS caregivers are trained to meet the mental, physical, and social needs girls like Malee face. They also aim to fund education scholarships so more at-risk youth can receive an education.
“If the girls didn’t come to this shelter, they might have been in the villages having to quit school, not being able to follow their dreams. Many of the girls will not have a place to stay. They will be at risk of trafficking and slavery.”
Your support of ADRA enables KGS to continue to keep girls safe and give them hope for a better future.
