Life in Thailand #2

One of our main goals in developing The SOLD Project: Prevention Program is to create a program that is completely Thai run and (at some point) self-sustaining. So, the first thing on our agenda was to hire Thai staff. Well, not only did we find someone to fill the role of Program Manager, but we found THE PERFECT person! Blah Chermui. Born and raised in Thailand, Blah is a mother of three and has been out of work for sometime to raise her family. She was looking for a job just like this when we approached her about the position... perfect timing! In one month, Blah has taken off full steam ahead. She has found 150 more children in need of scholarships in Chiang Rai, built relationships with 4 more schools in the area, and spent a lot of time in the villages with families of our scholarship kids to find out what their individual needs are. Check out the "Who We Are" section on our website for Blah's profile! Next month we will have the new profiles ready of children in need of scholarships and will be looking for many new sponsors. $365 dollars a year is all it takes to help keep one child in school. Let me know if you are interested!!

On another note... we recently purchased "The SOLD Mobile," an old pick-up truck that we will use for many different activities with the kids and with volunteers who come to Chiang Rai. When Nate and I leave the truck will continue to be used for SOLD work, so we are happy about the little investment. It's fun to drive and definitely feels like I'm back home in Crawfordsville, IN driving around in an old pick-up on country roads... although these roads are lined with rice fields (not corn fields :)

The last update on SOLD is that we are beginning to raise funds to build an office/drop-in center. Our Program Director, TaWee Donchai, purchased land in the village where he grew up and where a large portion of our scholarship students live. He has decided he wants to give this land to SOLD to build a building that we can use for the following puposes: 1) As a drop-in center for students to visit after school for help with homework, English camps, and to hang out with SOLD staff and volunteers 2) SOLD Project Offices and 3) Long Term Volunteer housing. Essentially, This building will further our efforts of relationship building and mentorship for our scholarship students and will allow our staff to easily host events for students in the afternoons/weekends. Long term volunteer housing would provide accommodations for long term volunteer staff in Thailand - allowing them to experience village life and Thai culture. The estimated cost is $10,000 and could be done by January if the funds are raised quickly.

My personal thoughts on all things SOLD...
I continue to be amazed and encouraged by the continuous growth that is occurring and that the vision continues to be "caught" by so many different people in so many different places with such different backgrounds. I feel so grateful to be in Thailand with the opportunity to see the fruits of our labor.

Our staff continues to dream and to not let the size of our dreams get in the way! We have so much to accomplish and at times I feel the only thing getting in the way is finances. We are approaching the next stage and are in need of major funding in order to accomplish what needs to be accomplished here. If any of you have relationships to foundations or other sources of funding... we could definitely use your help!

Life in Thailand

Soon after Nate proposed to me, we decided that we wanted to move to Thailand. For many reasons really, but first and foremost to further the work of The SOLD Project and begin developing "The SOLD Project Prevention Program" in the high risk areas of Northern Thailand. With our documentary film project now complete, The SOLD Project's main focus is now on preventing child prostitution in Thailand (specifically), but also around our world. The SOLD Project Scholarship Fund was founded in June of 2008 because we found that alleviating the financial burden education causes was the first step to preventing young children from being lured into the sex industry in Thailand. Since that time, Rachel Goble-Carey and myself began to dream about creating a holistic prevention program that would become more than just "throwing money at a problem", but a program that would address many struggles that adolescents face in Thailand.

In short... Nate and I are here to develop this Prevention Program, hire Thai staff, build relationships with the communities that SOLD has a presence in, and immerse ourselves in the culture while doing so.

Before family, friends, and God we professed our love... said our good-byes... sold our possessions... and headed to Thailand. After a glorious honeymoon in the island of Koh Tao, we spent the next 1 1/2 months leading a group of volunteers through Thailand to experience both the heartbreak and hope that exists throughout the issue of child prostitution. We had a total of 12 volunteers on 2 separate trips. I don't want to put words in the mouths of these amazing volunteers, but I would guarantee most of them would sum up the experience in 2 words: life changing

The volunteer trips ended in Cat's village.... the location that Nate and I will be calling home for the next 9 months. We found a beautiful home to rent after learning that there are no such things as "apartments" in Chiang Rai. The house came fully furnished, including dishware, bedding, and Tokay Lizards (I won't get into how SCARY!!!! these creatures are.) To help combat the lizard issues we decided to get a dog. However, our new little French Bulldog, Ooshki Graeser, is currently smaller than most of these lizards that roam around. Mommy is hoping that soon he will be able to at least bark to warn me that they are near :) Don't get me wrong, our home does have redeeming qualities, such as a beautiful yard and plenty of room for guests (**wink wink**).

So, what does The SOLD Project Prevention Program look like? And, what will Nate and I be doing over this next year?

The Prevention Program is 4-fold 1) Scholarships... we currently have 54 children receiving financial help to stay in school. 2) Mentorship... each child receiving our scholarship must be in a mentoring relationship with a community leaders (these leaders are currently being chosen). 3) After School Program... each child must participate in the after school program which includes sports, art, and tutoring. 4) Human Trafficking Awareness Program... we are putting together curriculum that will be taught in the school to teach adolescents about the risks of trafficking in their area and also about the sex industry in Thailand.

Nate and I start full-time at Bassan Wittaya Primary School (the school Cat attends) in late October. We will be teaching English, as well as running the After School Program and developing the Trafficking Awareness Program curriculum, alongside our new Thai staff. Our time here will also consist of expanding this program to reach other high-risk areas in Thailand, as well as developing a long-term volunteer program that will enable people to come and work with SOLD for months at a time.

In the meantime, we are taking Thai language class, which I admit is a lot harder than I had imagined. I believe this has a lot to do with the fact that I haven't been in school for 3 years and don't like the whole studying thing :) We are also using this time to get acquainted with places, smells, driving, and married life.

American paedophile arrested in Chiang Mai

2009 July 9

CMM reporters
At 4 p.m on July 1 at Chiang’s Provincial Police Region 5 headquarters, Pol.Lt.Col. Apichart Haptasin announced that US citizen, Robert Ward Cutler, 37, had been arrested on charges of paedophilia involving at least 5 young boys under the age of 15 years, the most recent victim being 13 years old.
Robert Ward Cutler, an American citizen who had been working as a guest lecturer and researcher in Chiang Mai, shown being questioned by police after his arrest for sexual abuse of underage boys.

At the time of his arrest, the accused was working as a guest lecturer and researcher at a university in Chiang Mai. Previously, Cutler, a Fulbright scholar, had taught at Bard College in New York. A search of the his rented house in Muang district resulted in the seizure of a laptop computer, boxes of pornographic CDs and sex toys for use during anal intercourse.

Police were initially alerted to Cutler’s identity, place of work and crimes by the Australian police in Thailand, and subsequently contacted the Foundation of Child Development. Cooperation then took place between Region 5’s Office of Protection against Transnational Crime and other relevant organisations, including Rights of the Child in America and Australia, which resulted in Cutler’s interrogation and subsequent arrest.

Settling into our new home...

Just like our last blog stated "Rachel and Nathan Graeser are heading to Thailand for 9 months." Well, here we are! We spent a restful romantic week on a southern tropical island of Thailand... Koh Tao. Now we are settled into Chiang Mai for one month as we lead a trip of 11 volunteers from the US. (more on that later :)

At our wedding I was asked, "Do you think you'll be able to relax on your honeymoon in Thailand knowing what you know about that country?" I responded quickly with, "Well, the US has child prostitution and trafficking and I relax here just fine. Plus I have fallen in love with Thailand, so I'm sure we'll relax just fine."

I've come back to that question a few times since returning to Thailand. This is my fourth time here, and every time I return I find a hundred new reasons to love this country. Sure, there are a lot of things about Thailand that I would like to see change... the education system, racism against Burmese and Hilltribe people, ripping off foreigners because we (supposedly) have lots of $, an abundance of street children, sex tourism feeding the economy, and extreme poverty. However, it doesn't take long to notice that there is so much this country has to offer besides red light districts and injustice.

This trip to Thailand is different in so many ways... this time I have returned as a newlywed with my husband (who has never been here before!), this time I have a visa that allows me to stay for one year, this time I am here to work with and serve the people that SOLD has built relationships with over the past 2 years.

I am sure that it will be an adventure that allows me to fall in love with Thailand and the people of Thailand even more. I am also sure our time here will be purposeful, change will begin to occur in Cat's village (Village of Pazaang), and we will continue to see why prevention work is beneficial and so needed.

My husband, Nate, and I will be blogging as much as possible. So, please stay up to date via this blog and twitter (@thesoldproject).

Rachel and Nathan Graeser are headed to Thailand for 9 months... follow their's and The SOLD Project's journey here!

The next year for The SOLD Project is focused on developing our prevention program in Chiang Rai, Thailand. Our hope is to create a holistic prevention program to be able to replicate in other villages in Thailand. No child should ever have to experience a life of exploitation, so please join us as we work in developing the area of prevention of child sexual exploiation.

Become a part of the movement by:

1) Creating awareness about this issue through Facebook and Twitter
2) Consider joining our team of interns for the Fall of 2009
3) Hosting a screening of "The SOLD Project:Thailand" in your home or community by downloading our Party with a Purpose PDF with statistics, SOLD documentary information, and Thai recipes
4) Getting creative: need inspiration? Visit our Re:Act Page to see what others have done to help in the fight against child prostitution.

Chiang Mai!

We just arrived in Chiang Mai this morning. It's a breath of fresh air after leaving BKK.

Our time in the big city was good: we spent yesterday with Roy and Bonita Thompson of Home of New Beginnings in BKK. They work with women who have decided to leave the sex industry and offer them educational opportunities. While there are many organizations in BKK doing wonderful work in aftercare, we were especially drawn to Home of New Beginnings because they put such emphasis on the importance of education as well as local staff/leadership.

We spoke with Roy and Bonita about potential job opportunities for women that graduate with a high school diploma: waitressing, tourism opportunities, hotel work, etc. They put emphasis on the importance of learning english and graduating with a high GPA so that options for college were available. While their program is still too young to have stories of girls who have graduated
and gone in to the job field, their insights were affirming to our work in education as prevention.

More to come...

Thailand

Rachel and I are headed to Thailand on Tuesday, May 5 - May 20. Follow us on twitter @thesoldproject while we're traveling. We'll be bringing you updates from the ground on The SOLD Project Prevention Program and our partner organization VCDF.

See you there!

Thailand Trip and other fun news!

You guys are awesome... the response for the exposure trip to Thailand has been beyond our wildest imagination. Every single applicant is phenomenal: how are we ever supposed to decide? We'll keep you posted as we dream up ways to incorporate everyone. The concept of an 'exposure trip' is really what broke Rachel and I's hearts for this from the beginning. We both heard about the issue and felt like we needed to move. Hearing and seeing seemed like the first realistic steps to take: so off she flew to Thailand, and off I flew to India. Those trips changed our lives.

We sense the same willingness in you, our applicants. A willingness to let go of the comfortable in exchange for risk, adventure, a life of unknowing. Thank you for your willingness to let go of your own comforts in order to be exposed to this issue and find your place in it: we are confident that you will come back from this trip a changed and empowered person.

In other news... Sparks has been in Waco, TX for the last couple of days and is set on relocating our national office there. I think she likes it. We're both headed off in separate directions to Illinois next week: Aurora and Edwardsville. Do you know of anyone in the area? Invite them to come see the film!

Thank you for your support. Has anyone hosted a Party yet? We want to know so that you're story can inspire others! Email us: activist@thesoldproject.com.

Liberty University Screening

Liberty Universities Criminal Justice Club hosted their first "Red Event" ever this year during the first week of April. Students from the school spent an entire week promoting the event with visual demonstrations, speaking at convocations and media advertisement. They rallied together and created a great atmosphere for the students.

Friday nights benefit concert featured five local bands and information about child prostitution and human trafficking throughout.

Saturday evening Rachel Sparks screened SOLD:Thailand while sharing the stage with 4 other organizations (IJM, The Polaris Project and two different departments of the local law enforcement) who all shared their passions and suggested ways to combat this pandemic.

The students were very responsive and were called to action in fighting child prostitution.

Thanks Virginia and the students at Liberty University for hosting such a great event!

SOLD in the Midwest

The SOLD Project’s crew has had an amazing time traveling to visit different universities and faith based communities throughout the US. In March, Rachel Goble and Rachel Sparks spent two weeks traveling through Georgia, North Carolina and Ohio – kudos to the Midwest for exceeding expectations and providing awesome venues and receptive crowds.

First stop – Mercer University in Macon, GA. Over 750 applicants showed up to the first student led ‘STOP’ Conference at the university – spear headed by Hannah Vann. SOLD opened up the event with a screening of SOLD:Thailand and was followed by keynote speakers such as Bradley Myles – deputy director of The Polaris Project, Patricia McCormick – author of Sold, Justin Dillon from Call+Response and Joana Santos – a Sex Trafficking survivor. The crew was so inspired by the students and their dedication to leading such an impactful conference.

Two days later Emory University in Atlanta, GA hosted a screening for their law department. 200 people came to hear about child prostitution in Thailand. The Rachel’s started the evening with a screening of the film and then opened it up for a panel discussion hosted by local experts. Awareness was raised, and people were called to action.

The Rachel’s hopped on a plane and headed to Charlotte, NC where Gloria Cave had been working to make these screenings a success. She hosted a “Salsa for a Cause” event where people danced and raised money for SOLD. The film was featured in NoDa at the Green Rice Art Gallery, space was limited so they had two separate screenings – about 100 people showed up for that event. The following evening UNCC hosted a small private screening for students studying social work.

Goble returned home, but Sparks hopped on another flight to Ohio, where Drew Persons met up with her. The two tag teamed the events and had a great turn out. They visited BGSU Firelands in Huron, OH with a smaller screening but an impactful one. Many asked how they could start a “SOLD group” or “human trafficking” group on their campus. And in conclusion to this Midwest tour Rachel and Drew headed to Cuyahoga Community College in Parma, OH where they were welcomed by staff and students excited and ready to learn more – the Q&A was the highlight of that screening with many thought provoking and honest questions.

The SOLD crew met so many encouraging people on this trip, and had a chance to reach thousands of people who wanted to make a change. Thank you to everyone who worked so hard to make these events a success.

Where will SOLD be next? Check out the tour portion of the website for more details.

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SOLD:Scholarship Fund

The SOLD Project has been on tour since January 09 and has already visited 10 cities. We have reached thousands of individuals who wanted to be educated and inspired to re:act.

With the overwhelming response in attendance came an even greater response regarding our scholarship program. Prior to launching the '09 tour SOLD's scholarship program was sponsoring approximately 21 kids. Now, since January, 41 children in Thailand are receiving the education necessary to keep them safe and healthy.




SOLD:Davis Event January 29th, 2009

SOLD: Seattle, WA

Last week we shared the film at Seattle Pacific University and QUEST Church.

The issue of child prostitution is prevalent everywhere. Just yesterday 10 underage prostitutes from Seattle (along with many others) were taken into custody. You can read the article here.

Many thanks to the ABOLITION team at SPU for hosting us, and Quest Church for their communities desire to fight injustices in our world.

Here are some pics from the week:

UC Davis Prepares for The SOLD Project:Thailand