Of all of the crimes perpetrated against the poor of our world, perhaps the most despicable is the practice of human trafficking. This dark, underworld industry is at its most appalling when it targets children. We don’t hear about it much as we go about our merry lives in the West, but this evil trade is alive and well in most of the developing nations of our world. At its best, the kids face a life of indentured slavery in a dark factory making the clothes that we wear or some of the daily products that we use. At its worst, girls as young as ten years old are locked in brothels and forced to perform hideous sexual acts, 24/7.

In Asia, the country of Thailand is considered to be the largest exporter of young girls for the world sex trade. Here is what happens. Recruiters from Bangkok travel to the remote villages of northern Thailand with enticing “offers of employment” for the children of the village. The parents are told that there is a huge demand in Bangkok for workers in the restaurant and entertainment business. Their children will get good jobs as waitresses, actresses, musicians, dancers, or karaoke workers. Others may be offered jobs in factories, or as custodial workers in the big offices in Bangkok. To poor, undocumented, indigenous parents, barely able to feed their children, this seems like a wonderful opportunity. Without Thai citizenship, they are not able to travel outside of the province they are in, which severely limits the options of a child from the Hill Tribes. But, now suddenly a door has opened!

Parents are told that special arrangements have been made that will allow their children to travel to and live in the city. The deal is then often sweetened by offering the parents money up front for the work that the children will do. By accepting the offer of employment, parents receive an “advance payment” of about $150 USD for every child that they sign up. This is the equivalent of about one year’s income for the parents and makes the proposal very enticing to the unsuspecting villagers. Not only would their children now be assured of regular food every day, a good job in Bangkok, opportunity for a better future then they would have in the village, but they also receive an instant year’s salary. Many parents fall for the scam and sign a contract that they cannot read. As the children pull out of the village on the back of a pickup, it is usually the last time they are seen or heard of by the community that has let them go.

Some of the children may actually stay in Thailand, but many others are exported to industrialized nations such as Japan or America where they locked up in highly secure apartment buildings where they are sexually exploited.

To combat this evil industry, ADRA Thailand has launched a program called, “Keep Girls Safe”. ADRA workers go out into the remote villages and educate parents about what really happens to their children after they wave goodbye. Young girls who may be in particular danger, such as orphans, are invited to a safe house where they are given good housing, food and an education. As part of the program, these girls also visit schools and villages throughout the region to do peer education. Through skits and talks, they let other girls know about what really happens to “waitresses” and “karaoke workers”. Parents are offered positive alternatives, such as scholarships for their children, literacy classes for them and income generating programs to help them meet the daily needs of their family.

This powerful program is having an excellent effect. Word is getting out and recruiters are having a more difficult time meeting their quotas!

If you would like to help ADRA in this wonderful program, please visit the ADRA website for your country and make a donation. Be sure to specify that you would like your donation to go to the “Keep Girls Safe” program in Thailand.