Raven's Hope
International
*Who are we?
Ravens’ Hope International is a Christ-centered leadership program for young ladies 18- 30 from Cambodia, who have limited opportunities and who have been impacted directly or indirectly by sex trafficking.
*What do we do?
We offer spiritual growth, leadership development, life skills, internships and mission opportunities to young ladies 18-30 from Cambodia.
*Why do we do what we do?
A large percentage of Cambodian women are reported as being illiterate. Many Cambodian girls lack education due to several factors. One factor is that they are needed at home to take care of younger siblings, perform household duties, and support the head of the home. Other factors include extreme poverty, and the prohibitive distance of schools from many rural areas. Because of this, many young women in Cambodia lean toward prostitution and sex trafficking as a means of income to support their families. The mission of Raven’s Hope is to eliminate prostitution by equipping and empowering women with education and leadership skills that will put them at the top of the hiring list.
*What impact have we had?
Over the past 6 years we have brought 33 young ladies to America for leadership training. 5 Ravens have returned a second time for extended leadership training. We have over 200 young ladies in our Cambodia leadership program.
Our Ravens are on the ground impacting the Kingdom of Cambodia for Christ. They work with and have started various ministries that educate, feed, and clothe the underprivileged in Cambodia. As well ministries that go into the brothels to minister hope and salvation to women that are caught in the web of sex trafficking.
*How did we get started?
In 2010 I had the wonderful opportunity to travel to a Cambodia. Within that opportunity I was privileged to serve in many different ways, such as the prevention of sex trafficking, projects in slum villages, dump feeding programs, and many more. My heart ached from the many experiences I encountered. I saw girls less than 5 years old trapped in the violent web of human trafficking. I saw a woman sleep on the sidewalk as she nursed her child. I even had the opportunity to invite a young lady to sit down and join me for dinner. She shared with me her dream of becoming a singer, but she viewed it as impossible because of the poverty of her family and country. She then began to tell me about her story of sex trafficking. There was one phrase she constantly repeated throughout our conversation: "IT'S NOT FOR LOVE". She told me of the many tears she shed during every encounter. She said, "As he pulls me close to dance, tears stream down my face, because it's not for love, and as I lay in the hotel bed tears fill my ears because it's not for love." Then she looked up and stared into my eyes and asked, "what would do if your mother was dying, if your sister was sick and the children in your community were dying from starvation and there was no means of help anywhere? What would do?" And one last time she assured me that "IT'S NOT FOR LOVE".
This story moved me along with the story of my translator. Her name is Tevory. She was 27 years old young and had been stricken with polio since she was nine years old. She had desired to come to America, but viewed it as an impossible dream. But I knew according to God’s Word all things are possible and Tevory’s dream was a small thing for God and that I would be used to make it happen. So God used both Tevory and the woman above to put a fire under-me to start Raven’s Hope International. And in 2013 Tevory was one part of the first group of Ravens to travel to the US for our leadership program.
