Just this week I got back from a trip to Sweden and Ukraine. This was a trip meeting with leaders, board members and partners regarding ServeNow’s ministry and future. One of the most exciting things about to begin this fall is the opening of a bakery in Ukraine for young women at risk of trafficking/prostitution. One class will be specifically for refugee’s. They will be provided training in baking and then employed to bake! Here is one girls story that we just highlighted in an e-mail:
Olya is an 18-year-old orphan who grew up in an orphanage in a small town in eastern Ukraine. After she left the orphanage she tried to get some low paying jobs with the few skills she had, ending up washing cars. After three weeks she was fired and never found out why.
A friend encouraged her to go to Kiev to work as a babysitter. As soon as she arrived at the address in Kiev, Olya was grabbed by a man with a strong physique and taken to an apartment close by. Every night, Olya was forced to serve customers sexually, regardless of how she felt, or how cold it was out on the street.
Olya was dragged into this terrible industry of forced prostitution against her will. Last month the police raided the brothel and Olya was released. Now she is a candidate to start in the ServeNow bakery project in Ukraine, which will give her an opportunity to get other professional skills and a future job, and will result in a completely changed life.
Olya is just one of many girls ServeNow is trying to help in Ukraine, India and Nepal. Right now we are ready to start-up projects to help more girls, and continue to help as many of them as possible that are already in the projects, being trained as bakers, tailors, beauticians, or handicraft producers. Last year over 600 girls went through the program. To increase the number of young ladies in the program this year by 25 percent, we need you to invest in these girls right now. The entire cost will be $283,500!
The average cost for each girl, including training equipment, is $63 per month or $378 for six months. We really need to have these funds available before the end of August. Please send your gift today to ServeNow, 5550 Tech Center Drive, Suite 302, Colorado Springs, CO 80919 or go to the website www.weservenow.org. Write “anti-trafficking” in the memo box on the donation page.
Thank you for responding immediately. Our funds have been depleted this summer, especially with the extra funds being provided for the earthquake survivors in Nepal. Thank you for helping us not to lose momentum.
God bless you and thank you. You and I can make such a difference in a young woman’s life who otherwise may be lost forever. All I can think about is this, “For the grace of God, it could have been my daughter!” That’s why I am glad I can make a difference today. Please join me to do the same.
Lars Dunberg
President, ServeNow
P.S. Please share this with as many of your friends as possible, or at least 2-3, encouraging them to participate.
Ben Foley 