Who: Me, Karin Sandstrom, volunteering with Beautiful Dream Society. Beautiful Dream Society is an anti-trafficking organization
with four ‘arms’- Prevention (we do
advocacy and awareness events with vulnerable populations, direct service
professionals, and law enforcement, amongst others), Prosecution (we provide legal assistance and support, including
preparing victims for the court process), Protection
(we have a crisis care shelter and transition home where we provide
comprehensive care for victims rescued out of human trafficking), and Partnerships (we network with the local
government, Non-Governmental Organizations, Hospitals, etc. in order to provide
optimal services for our residents).
What: Anti-Human Trafficking work. I am currently the Program Director for the Beautiful Dream Society. I run our shelter and transition home; I do the counseling, social working, and scheduling for each of our residents. In addition to those tasks, I write the psychological reports that are submitted to the judge and I testify on our victims behalf in court. I mentor and supervise the house moms and transition coordinators that staff our shelter and transition home 24/7. I also help out in our prevention department at advocacy/awareness events and I have trained hundreds of direct service professionals here in Lesotho in how to help victims of trauma.
When: I got here in January 2012, and I will come home by June 2013. The organization was started in 2011 and will continue to serve victims long after I am gone, though :o)
Where: Lesotho, Africa. Many people have never even heard of Lesotho, so here are some quick (yet distressing) facts about this fantastic little country and the people that I am serving:
What: Anti-Human Trafficking work. I am currently the Program Director for the Beautiful Dream Society. I run our shelter and transition home; I do the counseling, social working, and scheduling for each of our residents. In addition to those tasks, I write the psychological reports that are submitted to the judge and I testify on our victims behalf in court. I mentor and supervise the house moms and transition coordinators that staff our shelter and transition home 24/7. I also help out in our prevention department at advocacy/awareness events and I have trained hundreds of direct service professionals here in Lesotho in how to help victims of trauma.
When: I got here in January 2012, and I will come home by June 2013. The organization was started in 2011 and will continue to serve victims long after I am gone, though :o)
Where: Lesotho, Africa. Many people have never even heard of Lesotho, so here are some quick (yet distressing) facts about this fantastic little country and the people that I am serving:
- Lesotho has the world’s 3rd highest incidence of HIV and AIDS.
- Lesotho ranks 7th from the bottom of the UN poverty list of countries.
- Life expectancy in Lesotho is 35 years of age; Lesotho also has the second highest death rate of any country in the world.
- Only 8% of children will graduate high school.
- Many students have a one- or two-hour walk each way to school.
- Many have had nothing to eat and are unable to concentrate.
- Many come from homes where a parent or sibling is ill with HIV/AIDS.
- Child-headed households are quickly on the rise.
Why: “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothed you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
“The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’”
~Matthew 25: 34-40
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