Transforming Lives in Vietnam

Yen Bai Province, in Northern Vietnam, has been identified as one of Vietnam’s hot spots for human trafficking. Since 2011, 71 cases of women and child trafficking have been reported to Yen Bai provincial authorities.

Earlier this year, with the help of Hagar International, ‘Yen Bai Women’s Union’, a community-based Satellite Care Centre was launched in the heart of Yen Bai province. The centre aims to provide prevention, protection and recovery services to women vulnerable to violence, abuse and exploitation.

Through this satellite care centre, Hagar has been providing recovery services to 16 female victims of domestic violence and human trafficking in Yen Bai. Staff from the centre regularly visit women in their villages, hear their stories and provide counselling, especially on how to deal with violent husbands.

One such woman is Hoai who is 43 years old, with three children, ages 5, 16 and 18 years old. Her husband, an unemployed alcoholic, has been abusive for as long as she can remember, often being violent towards Hoai and their children if he didn’t have money for drinking.

Hoai tried to raise pigs and chickens at home to increase their family income. However, one day, while Hoai was working away from home, her husband sold their chickens and pigs and used the money to have a feast with his friends.

Then, six years ago, Hoai took out a loan of 10 million dong (USD 447) to invest in a breeding buffalo, but harsh winter conditions and disease caused it to die. Hoai couldn’t pay off the debt and struggled every month to pay off the interest.

Hagar staff provided Hoai with counselling on how to deal with her husband. They also supported her financially in paying off the debt, sending the oldest child to vocational training and the younger children to school. Hagar follows up with Hoai over the phone on a regular basis and advises her on how to move forward in life.

Over the course of a few months since this new satellite centre was established, Hagar has witnessed positive changes in the community. Through discussions and awareness raising projects, they are seeing women becoming empowered to make informed decisions and voice out their rights, whilst being assured of support from Hagar and the Women’s Union.

Over time, Hagar hopes to see Yen Bai as a province with reduced trafficking and abuse among women.

• Give thanks for the work of Hagar International, the Satellite Care Centre. and many other Christian organisations working in Vietnam to try to reduce trafficking and abuse of women and children.
• Pray for the continues work of this centre and others like it across Vietnam. Pray that the women will, not only find physical and emotional help and support, but also come to know the God who loves them and cares for them day and night.
• Pray for an end to human trafficking across South East Asia, and for solutions to the harsh poverty that traps so many women and children in vulnerable conditions.
• Pray for many across Vietnam to hear, and respond to, the Gospel, for courage for Vietnamese believers to share their faith and hope, and for lives and communities to be transformed through the healing grace and love of Jesus Christ.

Proverbs 31 vs 8: “Speak out for those who cannot speak, for the rights of all the destitute.”

Source: http://hagar.org.nz