Avoda

What if, by the time you were 12 years old, you were expected to be the main source of income for your family, or they wouldn?t eat? You spend all day collecting corn out in the fields under the hot sun, earning 13 baht per bag?.about 30 cents American. Watching the latest movie in theatres or stressing about who you?re going to be when you grow up would never even cross your mind. It?s not an option.

What if you lived in fear every day, wondering if your mother would have to sell you in order to help feed your brothers and sisters? She doesn't know any other way. And you have no choice. You?ll become just another statistic, joining the other 1.2 million kids who are trafficked every year. Forced against their will into bonded labor or sexually exploited. Avoda has joined the fight for these kids. Not only to rescue the ones currently ensnared, but to offer new opportunities and education in an effort to prevent anymore from falling victim to slavery, a disease that plagues every sector of the economy, from the sugar in your coffee to the shoes on your feet.

In 2015, Thailand will join with 9 other countries to form the ASEAN Economic Community. This will incur major cultural and economic shifts, especially for poorly educated teens who will then become even easier prey to human trafficking.

The team at Avoda understands the urgent need to train these teens and give them the skills and experience they need to expand their view of the world. Avoda offers vocational training as well as English language instruction and even belief system coaching, to break the poverty cycle mindset. Every child is different and has their own incredible potential, gifts that they have to offer the world, and Avoda recognizes the impact of walking with each child as they grow, one-on-one, offering support and love, building trust and showing the power of faith and forgiveness.