A Promise That Wasn’t True 

Haymanot was shipped off to an unknown location near the capital. There, the young girl was forced to work for someone who drank heavily and abused her. For months, she endured it. Eventually, she was thrown out of the household when her trafficker took on someone else. 

Alone, she found her way to a bus station and traveled to the capital, where she wandered until a concerned stranger took her to the police station. The police referred her to the Young Living Foundation’s partner in Ethiopia, Hope For Justice. 

A Safe Place to Begin Again

At one of Hope For Justice’s Lighthouses, Haymanot began to recover and find her voice. She spoke two languages fluently, so she became an informal translator for other children and staff. She danced. She played football. And she learned things no child should have to learn the hard way: the different forms of abuse, how to stay safe, and why her education matters. 

“I would have ended up on the street if I had not come to the Lighthouse,” Haymanot said. 

When she was ready to begin her next chapter, the team used their local knowledge to locate her mother and bring her home. Hope For Justice’s staff were there to see Haymanot joyfully embrace her mother, then hold the baby sister she had been separated from for so long.

Haymanot is One of Many 

Every month, Hope For Justice’s outreach teams walk the streets by day and by night, looking for children like Haymanot. This past month, they reached 41 boys who were in or at risk of exploitation. Another 17 children were referred to a Lighthouse by partner organizations, the police, and government ministries, and 71 children received safe shelter and trauma informed care. Six girls received legal support to pursue justice. 26 children were reunited with their families, and another 62 are in the follow up process that helps make sure those reunions last.

Keeping the Next Child Out of Danger

Haymanot’s story started with a family under financial pressure and a neighbor with a convincing offer. That is exactly why this year, your support is focused on helping communities protect themselves before a trafficker ever arrives. 

This past month, Hope For Justice’s team established 18 more women led self-help groups, bringing the total to 156 groups of about 19 women each, nearly 3,000 women in all. Every group has chosen record keepers and signatories to manage its money and has established a regular weekly meeting space. Every member has also been trained to recognize human trafficking: what it is, the different forms it takes, the common myths that hide it, how it shows up in their own communities, and what to do about it, mostly by connecting with local community leaders and Hope For Justice. 

The groups are building real financial security, too. Their savings have grown from about $180 last month to about $1,214, and the first loans have already been made, both to individuals and to the groups themselves. A family with savings, a loan to turn to, and neighbors trained to spot a too good to be true job offer is a much harder family for a trafficker to reach. Another 122 people also took part in community-based training on modern slavery and trafficking.

Thank You

To everyone who supports the Young Living Foundation, thank you. Because of your generosity, a 13-year-old who once believed she might end up on the street is home with her mother and her baby sister. This month, 26 children are back with their families, 71 found safety, and nearly 3,000 women are building a net that could keep the next child from ever being taken. Every outreach walk. Every Lighthouse bed. Every savings group meeting. Together, they tell the story of a community choosing hope, one child and one family at a time. 

*Haymanot’s name has been changed to protect her identity.

Continue The Impact