Meet one of Dressember's new partners: The Freedom Story
When Ganda* joined the Freedom Story nearly 10 years ago, she was in need of an educational scholarship and treatment for an eye condition. According to The Freedom Story, however, “perhaps the emotional support was as critical as the financial and medical ones.”
With help from The Freedom Story’s youth partnership program, Ganda has blossomed into a leader—unafraid to speak up, give advice, and protect her friends.
Through the program, Ganda was encouraged to develop her leadership skills, so that she was ready to put her knowledge to use when faced with difficult situations. On one occasion, Ganda discovered that one of the young students at The Freedom Story was approached by a foreigner who offered her money to perform a sex act over the internet. Ganda quickly dissolved the situation by confronting the man on the phone, telling him never to call again, and warning the other young students about the dangers of connecting with strangers over the internet.
When asked by The Freedom Story what leadership means, Ganda said, “It is an opportunity to give advice to others––not only younger kids, but everyone. Leaders have the power to open opportunities for people.”
This year, Dressember is partnering with The Freedom Story to support their work specifically in mentoring and educating high-risk students in Northern Thailand about human trafficking and how to safeguard themselves against it. Ganda’s story is just one example of the impact that The Freedom Story’s youth programs make.
The Freedom Story aims to prevent child trafficking by reaching youth before they need to be rescued. They work to do this by offering scholarships, mentorship and resources to at-risk youth in Northern Thailand’s rural communities.
Children in these underdeveloped communities have few opportunities for education, but in spite of this, they are expected to work and help support their families. Poverty and lack of education are two crucial conditions that put youth at high risk for labor or sex trafficking. With these expectations and conditions, it’s sadly no surprise that they are often targeted by recruiting traffickers.
The Freedom Story seeks to combat this by offering a multifaceted model with six specific areas of focus: scholarships, mentorship and counseling, human rights education, resource centers, and sustainability programs.
Though K-12th grade education in Thailand is technically free, many students drop out because they can’t afford the costs of books, transportation, field trips, or uniforms. The Freedom Story’s scholarships cover these costs.
The organization’s resource centers and sustainability programs provide students with a place where they feel like they can dream. Additional classes like language, music and art are offered, and students also have access to computers. The sustainability programs teach both students and adults sustainable skills like organic farming and weaving.
Even with all these programs, however, it may be that The Freedom Story’s biggest impact is not a physical one. Change and transformation come first from within. Through the organization’s mentorship programs and the 3-3-5 Program, students learn about their rights, their worth, and they are encouraged to dream. The 3-3-5 Program focuses on teaching students their sexual rights and raising up student leaders. Mentorship also gives students someone to advocate for them if they have issues at school or at home.
Student leaders like Ganda are able to recognize vulnerability and need for connection, and work to fulfill that need through friendship, encouragement and guidance. This enables students to recognize their potential and develop their confidence, so they too can become leaders.
This need is not something specific to the youth of Northern Thailand; the need for connection and encouragement is universal. More than providing scholarships and resources, The Freedom Story helps create community around the world by sharing these stories. As partners, Dressember aims to help spread the message of The Freedom Story. By sharing these stories of hope with our own community, we too become a part of the Freedom Story.
* Name has been changed
About the Author
Micaela Ricaforte is a senior journalism major at Azusa Pacific University. In addition to writing, she is passionate about storytelling through photography and design.