Story from Women At Risk

Posted by christine, February 26, 2010

Wanted to share this story and update from Women At Risk, an organization Mocha Club supports in Nazaret, Ethiopia, to help rehabilitate former prostitutes.  We’re so thankful for your help in this restorative work!

Women At RiskA little girl was born in the southeast part of Ethiopia. But her mother died when she was still young. Eventually, her father re-married, but her new stepmother was cruel to her. When she became a teenager, she ran away from home. She was told that she could run to a bigger town and find work. But the only job she could find was to be a live-in house maid. Mostly, house maids have to work from sun-up to sun-down for little pay, a corner to sleep on, and leftover food. This little girl, who became a teenage runaway, eventually found work with a family with grown sons. After a while, she was repeatedly raped by one of the sons, and she had no one to run to, no place to go. She got pregnant, and she was kicked out of the house. What choice did she seem to have? She was encouraged and advised by other young girls like her that she could make more money if she worked in a bar, saved a lot of money and had her own business.

At Women At Risk, we continuously meet girls with similar stories who have been trapped in prostitution for 5…7…9…12 years, not having saved a penny, sick, hopeless, lonely.

This past year, we were privileged to be able to work with 97 women who were struggling to leave prostitution.

Thank you for your support so we can continue to help rehabilitate more women in Ethiopia.

GUEST BLOG: “A New Meaning of Thankfulness” by Cole Thomas

Posted by christine, January 12, 2010

Cole Thomas was on our Mocha Club Ethiopia trip from December 27th, 2009-January 9th, 2010.

My heart right now is in Ethiopia, although I am at home in Colorado. Here’s why I can’t take my mind off Ethiopia…

We spent the first part of the trip with the Women at Risk program. In Ethiopia, women struggle to make money, and they think that prostitution is their only hope. Women at Risk offers rehabilitation to these women and then provides job training so that these women can stay off the streets. It was amazing to serve these women and to share our love and faith. My favorite memory of working with these women was hearing some of their testimonies. After so many hardships in their lives, it was amazing to see how joyful they now were. They said that they had found shelter in Jesus’ love and that He completely changed their lives.  Although we couldn’t understand the songs that they sang to us in Amharic, I could see how thankful they were by looking into their eyes. I have never seen happier people in my life. I feel like I will never experience the type of thankfulness that they possess.

Ethiopia kids

photo by Cole Thomas

We spent another part of our trip with in the town of Ambo. In Ambo, there is a large population of boys who live on the streets. Most of their parents passed away, while some ran away from home. People in Ambo shun the boys, and they are not allowed in the local church. Starting last year, Mocha Club’s goal was to build relationships with these boys and show people in the town how much we care about them. It was amazing to spend time with them.  One of my favorite moments was when a couple of the boys offered me food from their plate before they even started eating. This was shocking to me because they make about 80 cents a day shining shoes, and they don’t get to eat much. Eight of the boys are now living in a small place that made me so thankful for what we have in America. They could barely afford what their rent is each month…just 6 quarters, which is what I use for one load of laundry. This made me really question the things that I spend money on in my life.

Cole Thomas

Cole in Ethiopia

Overall, it was amazing to see how people in such dire conditions can be so happy and thankful. We were able to learn a lot from the people that we served. As a believer in Jesus Christ, I was blessed to see how they put their trust in Jesus to rescue them from the hardships they had experienced in their lives. They told us how joyful they were and how that love had changed their lives forever. Whether street boys, women who turn to prostitution, college students, or anyone who feels alone in this world…I believe that Jesus is in the business of changing lives. Personally, I am so thankful for our experience in Ethiopia and am planning on going back next year if I can raise the necessary funds.

Beyond the Shame: The Mocha Club Experience Webisode 11

Posted by christine, January 5, 2010

New video from Char & Skiff on their time with the Women At Risk project that Mocha Club supports in Ethiopia…you won’t want to miss this one.  We are so thankful to be a part of this restoring work with you!

The Mocha Club Experience: Starting November 1, 2009, Seattle Pacific University recent graduates Daniel “Skiff” Skiffington and Charlie “Char” Beck visit all of Mocha Club’s current projects in 7 countries and take Mocha Club supporters and friends on a three-month virtual adventure to experience real life in Africa. Stay tuned for regular updates!

TRIP BLOG: “Our Time With Women At Risk” by Linda Strohmeyer

Posted by christine, January 4, 2010

Mocha Club member Linda Strohmeyer is currently on the Mocha Club Ethiopia trip from December 27th-January 9th.  She sent us this blog from the field…

Women At Risk

Women At Risk (photo courtesy of The Mocha Club Experience)

So today, the first day of the new year, we are leaving Nazaret, where we visited the “Women At Risk” Program.  Our hearts are full, our spirits high from sharing our time with our African sisters.  It was so rewarding to visit a program that I personally donate to, as do many of my family and friends. These women have all come out of prostitution and major life challenges, most of which are beyond our comprehension. A few of our goals were to serve these women, to share our love and faith, and to open our hearts to the lessons they can teach us.

I have to say, one of the highlights for the entire team was our time praying, singing and dancing with these women.  We understood why our Ethiopian teammates called us “firengies”. They celebrated their faith and their gratitude with a passion that was liberating.  This is something we all hope to take back with us, and more importantly to share with all those with whom we cross paths.

To get into our servant mindset, we decided to have the male members of our team wash the feet of the Women At Risk and for the female members of our team give them manicures, pedicures and facials. For us, it was so humbling to sit at the feet of others.  The women expressed gratitude for our willingness to show our love and servanthood which helped to confirm their worthiness.

On a personal note, I was most taken by the testimonies of these women.  One in particular stays with me. Early on, this woman’s life was filled with difficult challenges that included the death of a parent, and sexual abuse and homelessness that ultimately led her to prostitution.  To her, this was the only way to be able to eat and survive.  It was her courage and her leap of faith in God that led her to to the Women At Risk program. Through the support of the program and the word of Jesus Christ, she graduated and went on to work at a bakery where at night, she would see other women on the streets.  She began to realize what God had in store for her.  She started to reach out to other prostitutes and share her story. She now works at the Women at Risk program where she continues to support and enable these women to live better lives. She, like all the women, ignited our desire to take action to serve and support others in need, wherever in the world that may be. One person can really make all the difference for so many.

Our final hour with the women involved a traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony which was, hands down, the best coffee ever.  We prayed over our gratitude for our time together and how we changed each others lives. We said our goodbyes, with long hugs and tears, and know now that we have African sisters that we will carry in our hearts forever.

The Reality for Many of Ethiopia’s Women: How Prostitution Plagues a Nation

Posted by christine, December 21, 2009

by Daniel “Skiff” Skiffington

On the streets

Prostitute on the streets of Addis Ababa

The streets of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia bustle with activity during the day.  Shoppers crowd markets, taxi cabs dash across busy streets and Arabian-style music booms from office towers.  For the most part, Addis seems to be an ordinary city.  But as the sun sets, remaining illusions of normalcy disappear.  Young girls, some between the ages of 12 and 15, line city streets in hopes of finding a customer or two for the night.

What makes Addis different than cities in the U.S. with prostitution problems?  The answer lies in the statistics.  More than 150,000 women walk the streets each night.  Many charge $1 per trick, making them accessible to both Ethiopians and those on business from the West.  In many ways, prostitution here is a result of poverty.  Unemployment is over 50 percent.  Ask a woman to leave the streets and she might go months, years or even decades without work.

Through a partnership with an organization called Women at Risk, Mocha Club supports those wanting to leave the life of being a prostitute or “sex worker.”   The idea is simple: befriend women and encourage them to live a better life.  The actual process is much more complicated.  Through the dedication of local staff members and volunteers, Women At Risk’s goal is to get these women off the streets, counsel them, and equip them with job training so they are empowered to support themselves and their children in a new way, encouraging them to leave behind the life of prostitution forever.  We’ll spend the next week with the organization and the people it helps.  Stay tuned.

The Mocha Club Experience: Starting November 1, 2009, Seattle Pacific University recent graduates Daniel “Skiff” Skiffington and Charlie “Char” Beck visit all of Mocha Club’s current projects in 7 countries and take Mocha Club supporters and friends on a three-month virtual adventure to experience real life in Africa. Stay tuned for regular updates!

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