Please note: Zoe Empowers takes the privacy and safety of the children in the program very seriously. We have changed the name of the young woman in this story, and blurred her face to protect her identity.
When Sheela* was 14, she lived in the slums of Chennai, India with an older and younger brother. A girl at this age, residing in these slums, is extremely vulnerable to becoming trafficked into India’s booming sex trade.
Out of desperation and poverty, Sheela’s eldest brother sold her into this sex trade. The day had come for Sheela to go to her new “owner,” and her brother to get his payout. In a very brave move, Sheela refused to leave. Sheela’s brother flew into a rage and tied her up. As she continued to struggle, he cut off her hand. The sight of so much blood stunned him – he ran off and left his sister alone, tied up, and bleeding profusely.
By God’s grace, ZOE’s India Country Director, Jabez Williams, was in the area working to build trust among the local gangs that were very influential in the slums. Garnering their support, or at least ensuring they wouldn’t interfere, was an important part of ZOE’s potential for success in this relatively new area for the program.
While talking with some local gang members, Jabez heard Sheela’s desperate screams and ran to her. He immediately called an ambulance and rushed her to a hospital. Despite everyone’s best efforts, Sheela’s arm had to be amputated.
In a place like the slums of India, trust is not easily given, and it is common for the people to be suspicious of good intentions. Jabez’s dedication to Sheela soon drew suspicion, believing Jabez may have been the trafficker himself.
Areas like the slums of Chennai are a hotbed of broken promises from international agencies that send visitors to meet the locals, take fundraising or research photos, and then never return. On the surface, to disillusioned, disheartened and often angry slum residents, Zoe Empowers looked like more of the same. For Jabez and other Zoe Empowers staff, building trust can be a long, difficult, and sometimes very dangerous process.
Jabez refused to give up on Sheela, despite the risk. When she was released from the hospital, Jabez sat outside of her home day and night to protect her. After a few days, neighborhood children began to come and sit with him, talking and sharing about their lives. As the children were witness to Jabez’s genuine compassion for Sheela, relationships began to form, and trust started to build. By August of 2015, an official Zoe Empowers group was ready to be developed in the area. Sheela and her younger brother are part of a Zoe Empowers working group to this day. Sheela is pictured on the right with her working group
While actual numbers are difficult to obtain, government reports suggest that hundreds of thousands, if not millions of women and girls are prostituted each year in India with girls age 10-12 in the highest demand. (Save the Children India, 2006) Because Sheela fought back, she would not become part of those statistics and another victim of the sex trade.
Equally as impressive is how quickly God used her faithful strength for his greater purpose. Because of her courage, Jabez was given the opportunity to gain the trust from some of the toughest, yet most vulnerable, children in the world. The bridge of trust built led to a thriving Zoe Empowers program that is creating dignity through empowerment.
Poverty, unemployment and a culture where violence against women is tolerated are among the greatest causes of trafficking in India. (La Strada International, 2008) The Zoe Empowers model provides solutions to all 3 issues. When Zoe Empowers provides orphans and vulnerable children with the tools to be economically empowered, trafficking is prevented. When a boy is taught the value of a girl and how to stand up for her rights, cultural beliefs that allow violence against women are overcome. When children learn their rights and how to enforce them, boys and girls can become protected against all forms of slavery. Zoe Empowers is bringing up a new generation of leaders to stand up against trafficking.
Thanks to the support of people like you, Sheela will become part of that next generation of leaders. If you would like to help Zoe Empowers empower more children like Sheela in Chennai we invite you to partner with us.
If you have questions about how you can help the children in Chennai, contact Tina Schmidt at tina@zoehelps.org or 320-291-7227, or make a gift today using the button below.
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