Beyond Resilience
Resilience generally means the ability to bounce back or recover from trauma or difficulties. In the physical sense, resilience is the ability of a material to resume its shape, after being deformed. For the children in our care at the Love146 safe homes in the Philippines, resilience means more than that.
Flying High At Wilderness School
What happens when you bring a group of eight wary young survivors in our long-term services to a Wilderness School for a day of trust-building outdoor activities? They soar.
“If Only I’d Known”
My first experience with this phrase is deeply etched in my mind: A young girl shared that she had met a group of people — people she thought were her friends. When things began to change, she wasn’t aware what was happening until it was too late. She said, “If only I’d known then what I know now.” These “friends” became her traffickers. They identified her vulnerability and need for connection, and they skillfully exploited it.
Who are these children? They are scholars.
Whenever we were with the children in public places, people would ask, “Who are all these children? Are they siblings?” I would say, they are cousins or they are playmates, or just ignored the question. Now I have determined that Love146 children will be called “scholars” instead of “clients” as they would be called in all the other safe homes or shelters in the Philippines. The children’s eyes lit up when they heard the word “scholar.” And as I explained why “scholar” is an appropriate term for them, I thought I saw great self-worth dawning upon their faces.
“I used to think I was invisible. But you see me.”
Our Rapid Responses help youth understand how a perpetrator uses manipulation, tricks, and force to take advantage of them. We talk about how easy it is to be taken advantage of. How everyone has things they need, things they struggle with, and how someone could use these things to build trust for the sole purpose of exploitation. This may be the first time that he or she is told: “It is not OK that someone treated you this way.” It may be the first time they hear: “It is not your fault.” Or that: “You are valuable and important.”
Brianna’s Story
“I’ve heard of pimps and I knew to be scared of them – but I didn’t realize that the person I thought was protecting me was actually my pimp.”
— Brianna, one of more than 200 youth who have been served by our U.S. Survivor Care program
I was almost a bomb shelter
The fall of 1961 was marked by turbulent times in the U.S. The entire nation was gripped with fear.
TEACHERS AS ADVOCATES
LOVE146 Staffer, Ryan Day, talks on the importants of having teachers as advocates for child sex trafficking.
SHE WILL NOT WALK ALONE
Anger, sadness, hope… We in the Love146 family experience these seemingly conflicting emotions often.
OUR LIVES HAVE CHANGED
Reintegration is a key component of our aftercare and another step a girl takes in her journey towards restoration and recovery.
SOMETHING DIFFERENT, SOMETHING REAL
We’re just two weeks into Tread on Trafficking and nearly 300 Abolitionists have already begun to run, bike, swim and climb — using exercise as a way to fight child trafficking and exploitation.
WE’RE BECOMING A FAMILY
Tread on Trafficking is a fundraiser that runs until June 30th where treaders do something physical and ask friends and family to support them for working out — with all money raised going to Love146.
I’M A FOOL
I woke up yesterday morning to a shock. News of a merger between Love146 and Not For Sale lit up social media, including a new website, and I didn’t know anything about it — which is really awkward since I’m the President and Co-Founder of Love146.
TRUST YOUR GUT
We believe the best people to protect children from pimps and traffickers are children themselves. It’s what guides our steps towards providing prevention education in schools. It’s what motivates us to empower children with practical ways to prevent sexual exploitation in their lives and in the lives of their friends.
BEAMING WITH PRIDE
Amanda’s past of exploitation began at just eight years old. She was trafficked through various cities and sold on the streets and the internet. Rescued at 14, she moved from institution to institution, each time leaving and returning to work in the bar because they didn’t send her to school. Rescued again, she came into our care.
