Latest News

Human Trafficking Becomes a Concern in Washington State

SPOKANE, Wash. — Human trafficking is a “considerable concern” in the Spokane area, contributing to teenage prostitution, forced labor and other ills, according to a new study. Prostitution accounts for the largest form of human trafficking in the region with an estimated 500 adult women and an unknown number of men and underage boys and girls providing sex for money through escort businesses, massage parlors, drug houses and on the streets, the study found.

One of those surveyed in the study said about a third of those selling sex in the Spokane area had been sold into prostitution by their mothers.

To read this article please visit seattlepi.

HOLLY: A Film About Child Sexual Exploitation in Cambodia

Shot on location in Cambodia, including many scenes in actual brothels in the notorious red light district of Phnom Penh, HOLLY is a captivating, touching and emotional experience.

Patrick (Ron Livingston), an American card shark and dealer of stolen artifacts, has been ‘comfortably numb’ in Cambodia for years, when he encounters Holly (Thuy Nguyen), a 12-year-old Vietnamese girl, in the K11 red light village. The girl has been sold by her impoverished family and smuggled across the border to work as a prostitute.

Holly’s virginity makes her a lucrative prize, and when she is sold to a child trafficker, Patrick embarks on a frantic search through both the beautiful and sordid faces of the country, in an attempt to bring her to safety. Harsh, yet poetic, this feature forms part of the ‘K-11′ Project, dedicated to raising awareness of the epidemic of child trafficking and the sex slavery trade through several film projects. The film’s producers endured substantial harships in order to be able to shoot in Cambodia and have also founded the RedLight Children Campaign, which is a worldwide grassroots initiative generating conscious concern and inspiring immediate action against child sexploitation.

Please visit our friends at Holly and learn about the wonderful work they are doing and to catch a showing when they come through your area.

THE SOLD PROJECT DRAWS AWARENESS TO THE HARSH REALITIES OF CHILD SEX TRAFFICKING THROUGH DOCUMENTARY AND IMPASSIONED INDIVIDUALS STRIVING TO MAKE A CHANGE

GHOSTLY INTERNATIONAL’S CHRISTOPHER WILLITS LENDS VOICE TO CAUSE

(Los Angeles, CA) April 30, 2008–Human Trafficking is a multi-billion dollar a year industry. It is the second largest criminal industry in the world today, just behind drug smuggling and has recently risen above arms smuggling.

These staggering facts prompted an effort to draw awareness and educate others regarding the dark world of human trafficking. The SOLD Project is a documentary and multi-media grassroots movement designed to educate people about the haunting reality of the child sex trade in Southeast Asia and the world, and to give them the tools to halt these atrocities. Read the story »

From the Rachels

Thailand Update

The crew has been in Thailand now for a week… for some it’s their first time diving into this issue, for others its a revisit to an all too familiar subject. Our first few days were spent in Pattaya which is where Thailand became a sex tourism industry during the Vietnam War when US soldiers were sent there for R&R. Images of beautiful Thai girls lining the streets, middle aged western men holding their hands, taking them to dinner, and frequenting the go-go bars that are a dime a dozen are standard sights to be seen. It is a destination for sex, with the beaches and tourist attractions as an added bonus. The men buying say it’s paradise on earth, but for us it felt like the edge of the world, and we left hoping we’d never have to go back.

Then on to Kat’s village, a sweet 11-year old that the crew befriended last year and who’s story you will soon be familiar with as the films come to completion. Her story is a story of hope and prevention: 90% of the girls from her village are sent to cities such as Pattaya for sex work. Last year the crew was moved to begin a scholarship program with the goal of keeping the children in her village in school rather than on the streets or sent to cities. Our time with her brought us back to the heart of this project: to continue fighting for the innocence of children, as her story reminded us that prevention, and hope, is possible.

Now, we are in Chang Mai: a favorite stop for all of us. It’s beautiful scenery, deep history and breath of fresh air from Pattaya has continued to press us forward to keep finding our story. Our time here has been interviewing street kids who come here to sell their bodies in order to survive. Understanding their stories gives us a greater look into this complex issue. The heroes we have met along this journey inspire us: men and women giving up their lives to serve these children in hopes of changing even one life.

This is a journey of discovery for all of us: each day the crew is working through the emotions of what it means to prevent this horrible exploitation of children, and our hope is to bring these stories home to you in a way that inspires and empowers you to continue fighting for the innocence of children.

Always searching for hope…

The Rachel’s.