The statistics on human trafficking are both stomach-turning and mind-numbing. According to the UN, it’s now a $32 billion annual business.
Consider India. There, in just one city, it’s a billion-dollar-a-year business. Little girls—some as young as 7 or 8 years old—are being forced into the sex trade. It’s estimated that 30,000 minor girls are trafficked annually—82 girls per day. India also has 25.7 million orphans at risk of exploitation.
The problem is massive. But it feels distant. Resistance seems almost futile. It’s easy to slide from the reality of “I cannot change this” to the attitude of “I can do nothing.”
Traditional adoption is difficult (at best) in India. So that significantly raises the stakes for orphan-care within India itself.
I’m intrigued by the work being done by As Our Own. They are “a Christ-based, community-driven movement in India that rescues vulnerable children from certain enslavement and exploitation, caring for them as our own.”
These girls are welcomed into their new families within India. They never graduate out of the program. They are loved and parented, given the crucial support system they need, including schooling, career preparation, marriage and family, and beyond.
So what does this have to do with Mother’s Day—with your mother, or the mother of your children?
As Our Own has initiated a new campaign where you can make a donation in honor of your mother or spouse. By doing so, you’ll be supporting young girls in India who have been rescued and who will (Lord willing) grow up to be mothers themselves.
Follow this link to donate. When you do, they’ll e-mail you a printable card where you can fill in her name and that explains the gift you’ve made in her name.
Our small gifts can make a big difference, honoring our moms and serving future moms on the other side of the world.
