As they say in the Philippines, 'Good Morning!'

Hello Everyone! I’ve been in Cebu City for approximately ten days now, and it’s been a whirlwind of an orientation. Usually when a friend comes back from a country of which I’ve never been, the first question that comes to mind is- how different is it? So I’ll just go ahead and address that question off that bat: There is, in fact, aggravated poverty here. And yes, there are some definite lifestyle adjustments to be made. But no, I do not have to speak a different language. As a result, our relative ease of communication has definitely facilitated a smooth transition.

The Philippines was colonized by Spain for over three hundred years, leaving Catholicism as their most visible lasting legacy. However, it was the United States that played a large role in twentieth century Filipino history. The modern school system, for example, was set up by the U.S. Consequently, all formal education is instructed in English- thereby making my efforts to communicate with Filipinos very very easy. But that’s not to minimize their local language, Cebuano. Most Filipinos in the Visayas (where Cebu is located) speak Cebuano in their communities, and defer to English in more formal realms. So learning Cebuano will be an important step to getting a deeper understanding of Filipino culture . . .

Less than two weeks after my arrival, I’m realising that there are many experiences that I’d like to share. So I might fluctuate between informing you of my work (which is absolutely incredible!) and touching upon the cultural discoveries of every-day pass times (like the national obsession with pork).

My fellowship is with an organization which works to rescue trafficked women and girls from local brothels, prosecute traffickers, and rehabilitate the survivors. Our large team is phenomenal in what they do, and I am inspired every day by what they are able to accomplish. In particular, I am working within the Aftercare department, which focuses on giving survivors the opportunity to become economically self-sufficient. This facet has become extremely important, because without it, girls are typically put back into the impoverished conditions which made them vulnerable to being trafficked in the first place.

But employment is complicated: It is simply not enough for a survivor to access vocational training, or, the hard skills. It seems that to get and keep a job, the soft skills, or interpersonal skills, are just as important. As of yet, there is no centralized forum for survivors to learn these skills. Thus, International Justice Mission has been working for a number of years to make that happen. Fortunately, I’ve stepped in at a time where the Job Readiness Program is already established, and the training of the trainers is ready to begin. I will be contributing to the implementation of this training, and I am delighted for the opportunity.

For the sake of brevity, I’ll discuss the second part of my Fellowship in another entry. But so far, I have been able to meet several clients, and am getting to know social workers and other community stakeholders on a daily basis. To the former, it is nothing other than a privilege to meet women who are taking on life’s challenges and forging new paths for themselves. And to the latter, I am so honoured to be surrounded by people who work to restore lives. I only hope to absorb some of their strength, wisdom, and compassion.

Thank you, to everyone who has helped make this effort possible. And I promise to keep you informed, and hopefully encouraged!

Sincerely,

Ali

The Foundations

Hi Friends and Family,


By now, most people are aware of the program that I’ll be involved in through International Justice Mission. But for the sake of clarity, I’ll relay it again via bullet points:

• Where: Cebu, Philippines

• When: 9-12 months, starting June 14th

• What: Skills, education, and job development for rehabilitated
trafficked survivors, ie. women and children

• Who: International Justice Mission, a Christian international human rights organisation which focuses on rescue and rehabilitation of trafficked victims, and legal prosecution of traffickers in fourteen different countries.

Ever since I first read about IJM in Kevin Bale's Ending Slavery: How to Free Today's Slaves (2007), where they helped win the freedom of an entire community of slaves from a Brick Kiln in Uttar Pradesh, I was hooked. It was the summer before the second semester of my graduate program in International Development, and I had decided to get a head start in one of my upcoming classes, Human Trafficking. What I began to learn fascinated me.

No doubt, the figures are compelling: According to Free the Slaves, there could be as many as 27 million people living as someone else's 'property'. It is also well researched that the trade in people is one of the top three most lucrative illegal activities, third only to drugs and arms. And the Coaltion to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking, Los Angeles, asserts that people are cheaper to buy, and therefore more disposable, than in any other time in history (remember, slavery has become illegal relatively recently). Finally, it is even safe to make the sweeping statement that slavery exists virtually 'everywhere' (with developing countries and the former Eastern Bloc acting essentially as source countries, and the more developed countries serving as the typical destination spots).

But in trying to grapple with the scale of this issue, the meaning of this experience can get lost. It wasn't until I discovered who the victims were that this issue became a personal matter to me. As a Development student with a special interest in Gender issues, I have learned that gender discrimination ensures that women and girls make up the brunt of the world's poor. And it is this population all over the globe that become the trafficker's main target. Unfortunately, the most vulnerable are lied to, coerced, or physically forced into unbearable circumstances. But what's even worse, those who are sexually assaulted are rarely accepted back into their home communities. And this is because there is still intense societal pressure on women and girls to 'keep' their virginity until marriage. Even if this is taken from them, their sense of value may never recover. In the wake of such a horrifying experience, and with such limited resources available for recovery, I wonder to myself, where do we go from here?

Needless to say, participating in this project will be one of the most important endeavors of my life. So this blog is created for those who are interested in tracking this journey. There are layers of learning involved in a development project: There is the aspect of learning a new culture, and developing relationships with new communities. On a professional level, there are new skill sets to learn. And most importantly, there is the actual interface of the issues that, thus far, I’ve only been reading and speculating about. So, for all of these matters, I am looking forward to clueing you in on what these experiences are like. I want to thank everyone for being so generous, and helping to make my trip possible. And it is my personal goal to be able to transmit, via internet, not only the struggle, but the pure joy of people coming together for the sake of empowerment.

Lots of love,


Ali