Two of a kind
The Far East – March 2007
THE COLUMBAN MISSION MAGAZINE
You may think that slavery has been abolished. It has been by law but that doesn’t mean it has been eradicated. Modern forms are found today in sweat shops, on sugar and banana plantations, in the lives of millions of child workers and, worst of all, in the body and soul destroying sex industries of the world.
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Isabel and Irene thanks the Preda Home for Girls for the new lives and prospects for the future. |
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Few know or can understand the desperation, shame, fear, guilt and terror imposed on the victims of sexual abuse and trafficking. innocent as they are, they are made believe that they are useless and expendable.
They are enslaved to notions of powerlessness and accept their fate with resignation and docility. Many believe that the victims are helpless and beyond recovery. But they are wrong. Many recover and live with purpose and meaning to their lives.
Here is a true story of two of the many unknown and unseen heroes on this journey to freedom. They have met the challenge and despite the extensive abuse are making a success of their lives.
Sixteen-year-old twins Isabel and Irene, the children of a Filipina mother and Japanese father have beaten the odds against the child traffickers and have shown that recovery, empowerment and success are possible despite the most traumatic abuse and exploitation. Their father was working as a manager at a military naval base when he returned to Japan and left his family in the Philippines with a small house and some money. The twins’ mother had a secret live-in partner and they squandered the money on parties, drugs and gambling, soon the house was sold and they were impoverished.
Not only did the mother’s partner take all the property, he took the girls as his sex slaves. When their stepbrother saw this he, too, began to abuse them. They were helpless, scared and terrified by threats to kill them. Their mother did nothing when they begged them to be stopped, she said they were lying. This was devastating for the twins and they had no way to escape. They lived in fear and had no where to go for help. But a good neighbour knew about the services that our organisation, PREDA, offered.
After their house and money was squandered the girls’ mother contacted a local pimp and sold the twins to a sex club. They were turned into child prostitutes. But when PREDA received a report from the neighbour our Rescue Team went to the sex club only to discover that they and many other young girls were being trafficked to Japan.
They had been taken to an address near the airport but no one knew the exact address and nothing could be done. Irene managed to escape and returned to Olongapo City. The neighbour contacted our PREDA Rescue Team and immediately picked up the mother and contacted a police unit to respond and assist with the rescue. They were just in time: Isabel and the other young girls were still in the house.
The pimps arrived and began arguing with police claiming that they had an understanding with the police chief. But the police we had with us were from a different station.
While they were busy discussing the pay off, the PREDA Rescue Team went into the house with the mother and found Isabel. They hurried her into the van and sped away. We knew that there would be no investigation or arrests. If only we could have rescued all the girls, but that was impossible.
Isabel
and Irene were taken to the PREDA Home for Girls, they were provided
with shelter and protective custody, legal assistance, education and
emotional release therapy They cried and screamed for hours as they
released their years of built up anger, fear and hatred of the abuse
they had suffered. They released the pain and hardship buried deep
inside and they freely opened up to therapists.
Soon they were participating in games, group dynamics and training sessions that helped them start life all over again free from abuse and exploitation.
The mother said she wanted the girls out of the children’s home, we believed this was a ploy to traffic them again. We decided instead to teach her a skill by buying her a sewing machine and trained her to sew recycled drink pouches into high-quality and brightly coloured bags and backpacks. She did well and was able to support herself and gave up trying to get the girls out of the home.
The occupational therapy during semester breaks was a way for the girls to earn pocket m6ney by sorting the pouches and feel a sense of independence. The girls in our programme earn good money for themselves and their families. They sit together singing and laughing as they do this worthwhile and simple chore. The work is light and empowers them when they go to the market and buy gifts for their parents and personal things for themselves.
Isabel and Irene have graduated from high school and are presently enrolled in college studying social work. One day they will qualify and will be back at the PREDA Home for Girls as social workers, rescuing abused children and saving those who are trafficked and enslaved as they were.
By Shay Cullen
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