By: Syd Bickers Photo by: Syd Bickers
The audience in Seeger Chapel silenced at the end of convocation today when the executive director of Rapha House, Stephanie Freed, closed (with the question.) “Milligan what are we going to do about this?”
Freed was referring to the nearly 600,000 to 800,000 children that are sold into human trafficking around the world each year. In an interview with the Stampede, Freed said one of the most important things Milligan students can do to help end human trafficking is to pray and “continue to educate themselves” about the constant changes of the human trafficking world in order to rightly advocate against the slavery.
Freed works for Rapha House, a 501©3 corporation has worked to rescue girls from human trafficking around the world since 2003. The organization, headquartered in Joplin, Mo., works to rescue women and children from brothels in Cambodia, Thailand and Myanmar. Those rescued are taken to a Rapha safe house in that country. The organization is currently working on opening up a project in Haiti.
Rapha is a Hebrew word that means to heal or to restore. In each safe house Rapha works to physically and spiritually heal the broken lives of the rescued. Though a mission of the organization is to share Christ, it’s website says care is provided to those who do not accept Christ as well as those that do.
After chapel, Stampede reporter Syd Bickers sat down with Freed to ask her how students could advocate against human trafficking.
Stampede: “What can college students do on campus to help end human trafficking?”
Freed: “In order to speak out in a way that people are going to respect what you are saying, you have to be educated about the issue. That’s something all of us can do, and that’s something students are already passionate about – educating…It’s about educating yourself and using your voice to speak out.”
Freed said students could go to the websites of Rapha House or International Justice Missions to stay current.
“If students need to better educate themselves, do you think that means there is not enough information in the media that informs students about what is going with human trafficking?”
“I think that that need for researching will always be there. The problem of trafficking is the same and yet it also continues to change.
Freed said as “people of justice rise up” to fight human trafficking, traffickers must change their tactics to continue trade. Freed said students interested in speaking out would need to stay current in the constant flux of the slave trade, which might require more research than watching the news.
“Is there a certain book you would recommend to students who were convicted by what you had to say about trafficking?”
“I like Terrify No More, and that was actually written by Gary Haugen, who is IJM’s president. It’s a story about combatting sex trafficking in Cambodia, so that’s probably why it’s close to my heart.”
Rapha’s mission statement is to “Love, Rescue and Health.” How would you encourage student’s to do that on campus?
“When ever I ended the chapel service I said this issue needs to be tackled by God’s people. I feel that we can love, rescue and heal by praying…We as Christians need to be speaking true into women. This issue is right here in this city right next door to us. So many women and girls do not have self-worth and self-value, and so that listen to lies lead them into exploitive situations. If we, as women of God, can speak truth and destiny over them…we can get that message through before the lies. We can love, rescue and heal right here.”
Can students intern with Rapha House?
Freed said students of any major can apply to intern, at the organization’s headquarters in Joplin, Mo. She also said that this is the first year for a “pilot project” of overseas internships with the safe houses.
Normally interns do lots of public relations work at camps and vacation bible schools in the States, but the overseas internships will give participants hands-on experience.
Freed said interns are not simply chosen based on their college degree, though interns must be females.
“We want young women who have the heart to do something about this issue. In internships it’s not so much about their major as it’s about the heart of the person.”
If you are interested in interning click here for contact information.
milliganstampede
