Today, Fan’s scissors click with confidence behind a hair salon chair. But just a few years ago, she sat in a brothel on “Justice Street’ silently willing the minutes to tick by faster.
When Eden Outreach met Fan, she had been forced to drop out of school. Lacking job prospects, she followed a boyfriend who promised a life of love and luxury… only to manipulate her into prostitution. Under watchful eyes, Eden gave her a Christmas gift and their phone number. She soon called, inspired by the opportunity to make jewellery. At Eden, Fan healed in therapy, trained rescued women in making jewellery just like this piece, and trained as a hairstylist.
About Eden
Eden’s programs are based in South-East Asia which is host to more than half of the global total of human trafficking victims.
In 2014 Eden began its programs in Myanmar, a nation that has been a hotbed for human trafficking for years. Political instability, natural disasters, and internal ethnic infighting have led to a devastating lack of opportunity for the people of Myanmar.
Poverty and political unrest are at the heart of Myanmar's human trafficking crisis, which has only grown more severe over recent years. The economic collapse, brought on by the pandemic and political crisis, has exacerbated the level of human trafficking and the need for non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and other not-for-profit organizations like Eden to fill this void and provide essential support to victims of human trafficking and sexual exploitation.
Through a relationship-focused and trauma-informed approach to programming, Eden is able to reach both individuals at high risk of trafficking and victims of human trafficking in the red-light districts of Yangon, and Northern and Eastern Shan state. This access has allowed Eden to identify and assist previously unknown victims of human trafficking, as well as collect vital migration tracking data. This unique design of programming is proven to address the root cause of their trafficking by reducing re-trafficking rates and facilitating sustainable reintegration after program graduation.
All profits from our jewelry sales directly benefit the women at Eden and support the following programs:
Outreach
Drop-in Centers
Emergency Shelters
Trauma Counseling
Vocational Training
Economic Empowerment
Community Education