CHRISTMAS 2019
Joyful, All Ye Nations Rise !
Merry Christmas Friends Because of your faithfulness and dedication to this critical work, we were able to celebrate our 15th anniversary at the end of 2018. As we took the opportunity to look back over the growth of Rapha House, our US and international leadership teams decided to honor our past and our future by intentionally focusing on a strategic planning process for the first quarter of 2019. We labored through transparent discussions of organizational strengths and weaknesses. We shined a light in each corner of our operations as we evaluated the effectiveness of our programs. As a team, we identified changes that needed to be made, and we were able to cast an exciting vision for the future. One thing we carefully considered was our name itself. Rapha is a Hebrew word, which means “healing,” and healing is indeed our heartbeat. The word “house” in our name, however, has become a source of confusion. When we began the work of Rapha House in 2003, we were one safe house program operating out of one structure in Battambang, Cambodia. Within just a few years, we had built and moved into an expansive high-security aftercare campus. This would be the first of four aftercare campuses which would be built over the next 16 years. When our partners realize that these aftercare campuses contain multiple cottages, schools, counseling and art centers, dining halls and administrative buildings, there is often confusion as they have imagined a singular house.
RAPHA HOUSE IS NOW...
Over the past few years, a different kind of confusion has emerged concerning the usage of the word “house” in our name, and it is now undeniable that this confusion could actually hinder our ability to do our work. Our dealings with some of our governmental and non-profit partners have shown us that using “house” in our name suggests to some that we are an orphanage or children’s home, a suggestion we want to avoid, as our work has a very different mission. Our desire is to help children heal and receive justice in our aftercare programs, and our vision is to see them thriving in safe communities. While our name “Rapha House” has served us well, it no longer speaks to our extensive social work efforts to help families become healthy so that children might have the opportunity to live in the God-given model of family and community. It doesn’t speak to our prevention programs where children, who are at risk for trafficking, are protected and empowered in their own communities. It doesn’t speak to the collaborations with government partners in helping children who have been separated from their families in illegal orphanages be reunited and reintegrated to their families. As we honor the first 15 years of our work together and the firm foundation which has been built, we are excited to announce that Rapha House is transitioning our name to Rapha International! Our mission remains the same- to end the sexual exploitation and trafficking of children, one child at a time- through aftercare for survivors, prevention for the vulnerable and awareness for all. And our very big vision is to see all children living in sustainable freedom within safe communities. Our commitment from the beginning remains our commitment now: Rapha International helps you combat child slavery and sexual exploitation through healing, hope and freedom. Thank you for your love, faithfulness and dedication to the children we serve. Together, we forge ahead in our critical mission to see children heal and thrive!
STEPHANIE GARMAN FREED CEO and Co-Founder
Haiti Babies At Christmastime, our hearts turn toward the story of an infant King, who was born in a lowly stable and laid in a manger by his very young mother. That is such a sweet picture of the season, and one that is dear to our hearts. This Christmas, at our aftercare campus in Haiti, 6 very young mothers will be caring for their baby girls and boys. The issues surrounding child trafficking in any country are specific and complex, but the outcome for all children who have experienced slavery and exploitation is the same- great trauma. One of the most common ways that children are trafficked in Haiti is into a system called restavek where impoverished parents allow their children to “stay with” (literal translation) and become servants for families who promise to meet the basic needs of their children and give them the opportunity to go to school. A complex challenge in combating this form of child slavery in Haiti is that this is a culturally acceptable practice for much of the population. Unfortunately, for the majority of the unprotected children who end up trafficked into the restavek system, they face tragic and terrible abuses of every kind. The majority of children trapped in the restavek slavery system are young girls who are victims of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse by members of the family they serve, who see the girls as nothing more than their property. The six young mothers in our Haitian aftercare program who have recently given birth are all between the ages of 11-15. It is only when people in the community see a young girl who is obviously pregnant that a report is made and sometimes rescue takes place. We have historically had several babies born to girls in our aftercare program at Rapha Haiti, and many of you will remember our precious 12-year-old who had twin baby boys a few years ago. We were able to successfully reintegrate her back to her family last year along with her toddler sons after a long social work process. We helped the family add a small room to their impoverished dwelling to be able to accommodate three more people. Our social workers connected the family with a microenterprise organization that is helping them with some farming projects so they can sustain the cost of adding three more people back into their home. Rapha social workers continue to work with this family to make sure that the children remain safe within the family unit. Although the struggles of daily life for this family and a majority of families in Haiti are great, they are thankful to have their daughter home, along with her twin sons.
Photo approved for use by child’s mother
For each of the pregnant girls who are brought to our aftercare facility, they face difficult decisions. These young mothers must decide whether they will attempt to parent these babies and take them back into community upon reintegration, or whether they will place them in a children’s home or with a foster family. For this reason, we employ multiple nannies in our aftercare program so that the girls can take their time in making choices for their own futures. Throughout each day, the girls are able to go to school in our aftercare center, studying under licensed teachers, while the nannies care for their babies.
RAPHA.ORG
As you can imagine, six babies mean a lot of cribs, diapers, formula, and manpower. As several of these girls gave birth over the summer and early fall months, we encountered some complicated and expensive deliveries for these very young mothers as well as time spent in neonatal units for some of the babies. Coupled with the political unrest currently taking place in Haiti, the past several months have been challenging at our aftercare center with rarely a dull moment. We consider each of these new lives a tremendous blessing. We are doing all we can to ensure that these very young mothers who have faced extreme trauma will still have the opportunity for healing, hope and freedom. Heather, our Child Protection Director for Haiti recently wrote- “A baby conceived in trauma can make the road to healing an even more complicated one, but we are committed to walking alongside each of these young girls in their journey.” She went on to describe how these young moms need the opportunity to be children themselves. “The first few months after a girl’s arrival at Rapha are a period of adjustment, as she gets acclimated to her new life, gets to know the other girls and the staff, and starts to build trust with her counselor, social worker, teacher, and housemothers. Usually, the work of addressing her trauma directly in counseling doesn’t begin until a few months in, after she has developed enough trust with her counselor to share at such a personal and painful level.” “But the path to healing begins from day one, as her physical needs are met consistently, with no strings attached; as she is treated with respect and love by every staff member; as her medical needs are taken care of; as she is allowed free time to play outside and read books and listen to music; as she participates in, or just watches, dance parties and soccer matches with the other girls; and as she observes a house full of strong female role models (our staff) who believe that she is a beautiful daughter of the King and is worthy of their time and attention.” Thank you for walking alongside us as we walk alongside them. Without you, we would not be able to offer a harbor of hope and healing to these young mothers or their beautiful babies. This Christmas season, as we remember that special baby who was born to a young mother in the stable, please say a prayer for the young mothers of Rapha International and for their babies who are full of worth, value, and great promise.
OUR PLEDGE: RAPHA INTERNATIONAL HELPS YOU COMBAT CHILD SLAVERY AND SEXUAL EXPLOITATION THROUGH HEALING, HOPE AND FREEDOM.
RAPHA.ORG
Exploited Children Need You Today Partner with us now, and change lives forever. - Provide a generous one-time gift at rapha.org/give - Become a monthly Keys to Freedom aftercare partner at rapha.org/aftercare - Become a Kids Club prevention sponsor at rapha.org/kidsclub - Become a Freedom Forever endowment partner - Gifts in kind To learn more about other ways to give or to provide funding for a special project need, please visit: rapha.org/specialprojects or contact us at 417.621.0373
Freedom Forever Endowment Will you consider a planned gift of $10,000, $50,000 or more to join us in bringing Freedom Forever? The Freedom Forever Endowment is a permanently endowed fund that will serve children for generations to come. You can make a gift through any number of ways including a cash gift, stock transfer, or through a planned gift from your estate. We all want to leave a legacy and to have an impact beyond our own lifetime. We would love to begin a conversation about your legacy. Please contact David Peters, General Counsel, at dpeters@rapha.org or 417-621-0373 ext 711 for more information.
RAPHA.ORG
Rapha Freedom Store These products provide a livelihood for the incredible women we work with. You can be assured that when you shop Rapha International products, all of the profits from your purchase go directly back to helping our programs operate.
DAVI (BACKPACK) $45
NONG (TOTE BAG) $32
ELEPHANT NECKPILLOW $30
SILK ELEPHANT $25
RECYCLED ELEPHANT WALLET
$20
NESTING COIN PURSE $15
SMALL COSMETIC BAG $10
POM/TASSLE KEYCHAIN $5
SMALL ELEPHANT $5
SHOP.RAPHA.ORG
PO Box 1569 Joplin, MO 64802 rapha.org 417.621.0373
Merry Christmas ! Traditions Offer Hope
The Christmas season brings families together and allows for many opportunities to enjoy important traditions. This is just one thing that is taken from the children we serve at Rapha International. While these children are in our protective care, we want to do all we can to provide special holiday experiences for them. One of these holiday traditions is teaching the girls to make Khmer cakes, a favorite dessert in Cambodia. Khmer cakes often consist of white rice mixed with sweet milk, beans, and different choices of fruit or meat cooked inside a rice paste, which is then wrapped inside a banana leaf. This special time that the staff spends with the girls continues to build a family atmosphere of unity and joy. Today I watched as one of our 7-yearold girls sat down with one of our male leadership staff. She called him “Pa� and asked him to teach her how to make a Khmer cake. As they made Khmer cakes together there was a silent foundation of trust, respect, and safety built. I watched as they laughed together, and this male staff was able to encourage her as she learned to wrap her Khmer cakes. As you prepare for this holiday season and the many traditions they bring, may you slow down and enjoy the relationships that are fostered during your time spent together. May these traditions offer you and your family hope, peace, and joy. May God bless you and your family this Christmas.
HANNAH
Country Director - Cambodia