# 2: Rahab Ministries
Internationally, prostitution and trafficking of Asian women and children is increasing. It is the third largest and fastest growing criminal industry in the world and one of the most urgent human rights issues today. About 5,000 women work each night in the sex tourism industry of Patpong, an area specifically established for Western sex tourism. Rahab Ministries is situated in the middle of this red light area and rescues girls from prostitution in the bars of Bangkok and helps rehabilitate them through training and education. Many girls are sold into the sex trade at age 10 to 12 years by their parents and are required to send earnings home to support their family.
Rahab Ministries has an excellent record of working on the streets and through a hair salon. About 800 girls have been assisted to leave the “trade since the inception of the ministry. They have now moved into prevention work in north Thailand where they are working in schools educating and warning young girls.
History Of Partnership
Rahab Ministries began in Bangkok in April 1989 when two Thai and two foreign women met to share their desire to help girls working in prostitution. Rahab Ministries continues to grow under a strong leadership team of Thai staff and foreign volunteers.
Rahab Ministries has three objectives:
• To share the love of Jesus Christ through friendship evangelism and social concern.
• To provide practical help and emotional support to girls working in prostitution.
• To provide opportunities for education, vocational training and alternative employment.
These objectives are met through:
Bar Visitation:
Each week the outreach team visits different bars in Patpong seeking to make contacts through friendship evangelism. As they build relationships they are able to tell the women about Rahab and what support and new opportunities they can offer them.
Rahab Bazaar:
Rahab Bazaar was set up both as an income generation programme and to offer alternative employment to women choosing to leave the bars. Making jewellery at Rahab enables the women to make something beautiful out of their lives that have been ugly and hard. It is also a time to build new relationships. All their jewellery is made to a high standard using only the best materials.
Rahab House:
Any women who choose to stop working in the bars at Patpong are offered alternative accommodation at Rahab House. It is run on Christian values and provides a family atmosphere and support as the women regain confidence in themselves. Some families are reunited as children who have been back in the villages come to live with their mothers.
Discipleship and Training:
One of the Directors provides pastoral care to all the women at Rahab. Three times a week she runs a Bible study and offers counselling, discipleship and healing ministry with others on the team. Twice a week English classes are taught at Rahab. These classes are also open to any bar girls wishing to attend.
Key People
Leadership Profile
Chanaprai Wangkhampha (Prai) is the manager of the Rahab Bazaar, which is both an income generation project and provides new work and skills for women leaving the bars. She oversees the production, sales and distribution of all Rahab products. She is also involved in researching and developing new products for the women to make by hand and sell not only in Thailand but all over the world. In addition she provides support and encouragement to all of the staff at Rahab. Her wisdom and strong faith are an integral part of the leadership team. Prai lives at Rahab house with her husband Piya, and daughter, Play.
Susitorn Niwetrangsan is the on-site pastor of Rahab Ministries. She oversees the Bible teaching, discipling, prayer and worship at Rahab. Susitorn's vital role involves discipling each of the women who come through the programme as well as providing support and encouragement to all the staff at Rahab.
Alex and Sarah van Meygaarden are long term volunteers from New Zealand. Alex was a secondary school teacher in New Zealand before joining Rahab Ministries in Thailand. Alex's main responsibility at Rahab is office management and responding to incoming emails. Alex is also the general handyman at the office in Patpong and Rahab House.
Sarah's background is in mental health nursing and she holds a counselling degree. Sarah is part of the outreach team and is responsible for prayer bulletins, newsletters and all communication for Rahab Bazaar. Both Alex and Sarah are house parents at Rahab House and enjoy being part of the Rahab family.
Vision And Annual Strategy
Approx. 30 girls use the centre each day.
Counselling and teaching are given on practical matters such as safe sex, health, nutrition, STDs and AIDS, childcare and budgeting.
A Sponsorship Programme enables girls to leave the bars and engage in vocational training or further education. Some children of bar girls are sponsored to attend school. Girls are helped to find other employment.
Prevention Programme – Some young girls ‘at risk’ of entering prostitution are sponsored to continue schooling or vocational training. Suitable employment is found for others.
Income Generation – A jewellery business provides girls wishing to leave prostitution with a source of alternative income.
International prostitution and international trafficking of Asian girls and children is increasing. Worldwide, 4 million girls and 1 million children are trafficked into the sex industry every year. Rahab Ministries is increasingly involved in advocacy and generating awareness of this phenomenon, especially among Christians in the West.
What We Like About The Partnership
This is a vibrant ministry meeting the desperate needs of vulnerable people.
It has solid local leadership. We also like their approach to disciple the girls to look beyond themselves through the adoption of a refugee village on the Burmese border and their help for them to become active members in a local church. We are also currently involved through Lai Mai Coffee.
Our Potential Approach
1. The ministry would benefit from a short-term trip of people with particular skill sets, or people helping from back in Auckland in various ways:
- produce videos
- photography
- web help
- skilled trades people
2. Promoting and Selling Lai Mai Coffee as a way to support this ministry.
3. Promotion of the jewelry made through Rahab. We can do this through our yourplace website and special functions. It may be that somebody wants to pick this up in a bigger way. 100% of profits going back into Rahab ministries.
Real "Life Change" Stories
Kat’s Story
I come from a family that was very poor. My mother had five children and only my sister and I had the same father. As soon as, or just before, each child was born the fathers left home. Because of jealousy and strife in our family, mainly with my older sister and her husband who were very lazy and told lies about me, I was told to leave home. I left and found work in a factory but some time later my sister borrowed money from my friend then gambled and borrowed from others and her debts mounted up. She was in trouble with the police. For my mother’s sake I agreed to pay off the debts.
I came to Bangkok and worked in a sewing factory but the pay was not enough to be able to repay enough each month. My friend was wanting her money back so I decided to work in the bars but was unhappy with that kind of work. I became friends with one man and lived with him for a few years but when I became pregnant, my boyfriend wanted to end the relationship saying the child wasn’t his. He didn’t want another child as his ex-wife had four children.
About that time I met up with people from Rahab Ministries who brought me to Rahab Home and helped me. I want to be a good mother and we are happy here. I thank God who has given me a family who care about me where I’ve found real love and friendship.
Jan’s Story
When I was still a baby my parents separated and I was left with someone else to be cared for. I never knew my mother. Later at the age of 8 I met my father, then at 12 went to live with him and his wife who had two sons. They were spiteful and mean to me and when I complained to my father he was not interested and growled at me. I felt he did not love or care about me so I ran away and wandered the streets looking for work.
No one wanted to employ me as I was young but a street restaurant gave me food and a bed and I washed dishes until the son tried to molest me and I was sent away. On the streets again a gang of youths tried to get hold of me but I got away by stabbing one of them. The next morning the police arrested me and I was sent to a government home until 18. On leaving there I tried again to find work wandering the streets until hungry and exhausted I sat down on the pavement and cried. Finally a woman befriended me taking me to her place and was kind to me.
This woman who worked in the bars was very kind and showed me love. Some time later she became infected with HIV and I cared for her until she died. She taught me a lot with good advice to help me. The other women in the bars were very caring. When I met up with Rahab I was pregnant and they helped me leave the bars and showed me real love. I have come to know Jesus and have found new life. I really appreciate what God has done for me and my baby girl through Rahab.
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