SOUTHEAST ASIA: GIRLS’ PROJECTS

Beginning in 1990 Empower Asia’s original mission station was based in Bangkok, Thailand. The primary reason for commencing this work was the frightening number of children - both boys and girls - who were being trafficked and pimped into the sex industry. So we decided to open safe homes that protect children and offered them the opportunity to not only graduate high school but also move on to university education.

Within Southeast Asia (excluding our projects in Cambodia) we now have an incredible five girls’ homes. In these homes we disciple around 70 teenage girls. The various projects are located amongst staunchly Buddhist people who are fiercely independent.

Over the years many young people have graduated from our residences with some moving on into both ministry and professional work.

While Thai society still has a stratum of poverty, it is not as great as say 30 years ago. Unlike in previous times, girls now are encouraged to graduate high school. So, instead of running safe houses, we are simultaneously both mentoring our kids and sponsoring them to complete high school and move into university study.

Some of the homes are located within the lawless region known as the Golden Triangle. This is an area infamous for cross-border sex trafficking and is the world's number one producer of methamphetamine.

We aim to see our young women rise above outdated expectations so that they can; graduate high school, move on to university study, have more of a choice in who they marry, and decide when they have children and where they will live. Once the girls have completed their education we expect that they will input back to their own people again.

“So far, in just one of our girls’ homes, we have produced a medical doctor, a computer engineer, a Christian worker and a number of schoolteachers. These were all girls who were heading towards the education scrap heap.”

For our organisation we define poverty as the inability to get out of the ”ditch” unless someone helps you out. We have a number of children from backgrounds where their level of poverty is simply at a whole new level to what we experience in the west. The two photos below show one of our girl’s houses - both the exterior and interior.

KS started living at our girls’ house from 2022. She is 9 years old and is studying at just grade 2 level. Because of the political and economic situation within her region, many kids are behind on what their school grade level really should be. Her father has a chronic stomach disease - he cannot work. As a result, KS’s mother has had to leave home and move near the Chinese border and work as a food saleswoman in a food shop. Her monthly income is NZD $280. She is able to send NZD$200 (US120) back to her family. With this money, the family spend NZD $145 (USD113) on rice alone. KS’s family eat just two meals per day.

Their remaining money is used to buy oil, salt, vegetables and medicine for KS’s father. There is simply not enough for school fees or any sort of extra life costs or medical costs at all.  If KS cannot afford to go to school, then how can she ever escape poverty?             And that is why we selected her. Plus, she is from a tribe where many are sent into prostitution and involvement in both drug trafficking and production.