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When I grow up, I want to be a prostitute!

By Ericka Jackson | March 07, 2011

“When I grow up, I want to be a prostitute!”

Have you ever heard a little girl say that? No?! Funny….. me neither.

I keep reading and re-reading this blog about that very topic. And this paragraph just wrecks me over and over and over….

“Once upon a time – back before someone broke you and before Someone fixed me – we were both just little girls. We probably both played with baby dolls and maybe we both had daydreams of what our ever-afters would look like, of what kind of women we’d be. Probably neither of us came very close to what we dreamed as kids… I know I’m not who I thought I’d be. And I know that no little girl ever dreamed of being a crack-whore…

I’ve worked with a lot of kids through the years in America, and I’ve heard what they all want to be “when they grow up”. Healthy, happy, middle-class kids want to be doctors, and pilots, and NFL football players…. and most of them have parents that support and encourage them with the phrase “you can do anything you set your mind to!” And the truth is, many of them will go on to finish high school, and college, and many of them will make their dreams come true because they have the means to do it….

…. but here’s the really incredible thing. I’ve also worked with kids in South Africa, Swaziland, India, and Thailand. Kids who are citizens of third world countries. Kids who live in the slums. Kids who can’t even afford to go to elementary school, much less college. And yet they still tell me that when they grow up they want to be doctors, and lawyers, and teachers…..

I have NEVER, not even in the most desperate location, EVER heard a little girl say she wanted to be a prostitute when she grows up. And I’ve never heard a little boy say he wanted to be a pedophile’s sex slave.

So, will someone please tell me why we keep getting comments on our blogs and videos from people who inform us that the “fact” is these girls are prostitutes because they want to be? That these children weren’t trafficked or forced to be sex slaves to men 5 times their size? That poverty isn’t an issue in Thailand, and that these girls are selling their bodies to men who abuse them, disrespect them, and treat them like property because they’re lazy?

It never ceases to amaze me that there are so many ignorant people in the world that believe those lies. The TRUTH is, the bar life is not the dream of any little girl. And it shouldn’t be a reality for any man, woman, or child.

 

The sex industry is horrific. When I walked through the Red Light District for the first time, I felt like I was walking through someone’s nightmare. But this nightmare is REAL for hundreds… thousands…. MILLIONS of women just like me every day and every night.

 

and men.

 

and innocent children.

 

and that is NOT OKAY.

 

And sadly, I don’t have the power to stop it. I can’t make perverse men from all over the world stop coming to the Red Light District in Thailand or India to buy these girls. I can’t stop men in Swaziland from raping girls in return for school fees or bread for their families. And it’s the most helpless feeling.

 

But maybe, just maybe, I can change the life of one little girl.

Maybe, because of the Children’s Home we’re building here in Thailand, and the orphanages we support in India, and the carepoint we sponsor in Swaziland, one little girl…. or 100 little girls…. or 1000 little girls will NEVER KNOW the horrors of human trafficking, sex slavery, rape, or abuse.

I believe that’s a possibility. I believe that with your help we can make a difference. We can protect the innocence of some of these precious little girls. We can give them a childhood and we can empower them to have a real future that doesn’t involve them selling their bodies to put food on the table. I believe that they will grow up knowing their worth, because they grew up in a safe, loving home where they were protected and valued and cherished. I believe that together, we can help them achieve their dreams!

We are working to make that possibility a REALITY in all these countries. Want to help? DONATE HERE. Follow us on Twitter. Like our facebook page. Share this blog with your friends and stay tuned for more ways to get involved! We want you to partner with us to give HOPE to children around the world!< 

Comments (3)

    Momma Krause

    Thank you for making a stand for these children!!!

    Amanda Porter

    It wouldn’t be the work of the holy spirit or God if you weren’t criticized. I believe with my whole heart that the people who are leaving hurtful comments are being convicted by by the holy spirit himself, and instead of listening to him, they are letting the devil get the best of them.

    Praying for these women in India, Swaziland, and Thailand. Praying for you two that God would use you like you said, even in the life of 1 girl.

    Thank you for doing what you are doing, you are bringing kingdom, and these girls and ladies are blessed to meet you/receive the love you are showing them!

    annah grace morgan

    Praise God for the hope and faith you have!! You will make a big difference in the children’s lives! And you have already made a positive impact on mine. May God continue to strengthen our faith and provide hope for more people! The easiest way to know you are doing good things for the kingdom is to be attacked by the world. What a wake up call…reading what those crazies wrote! Stay strong I.n the spirit, sister! I love you and am so proud of you!

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