Our story began 19 years ago in Mumbai, India when our Founding Partners, David and Beth Grant, partnered with K.K Devaraj and team members from Bombay Teen Challenge to rescue children suffering in sexual slavery. In 1997, they launched their first aftercare safe house, where rescued children could experience hope and healing. Motivated by a deep conviction that everyone is created with inherent dignity, and a belief that Jesus taught those who follow him to be committed to justice, compassion, restoration, and redemption, they began a journey that would change thousands of lives forever.
As their initiative continued to grow, so did global awareness of human trafficking. In 2006, Beth was asked to develop an international curriculum that would train caregivers of trafficking survivors. David and Beth founded a small, U.S. based non-profit called Project Rescue International, and working in partnership with a global coalition called FAAST (Faith Alliance Against Slavery and Trafficking), they published the Hands that Heal curriculum in 2007. It has since been translated into 13 languages and is one of the most widely-utilized training tools in the world for the aftercare of sexual slavery survivors.
The Long Road to Freedom
Aftercare is a long process. It isn’t glamorous. It is work that spans years, even decades. Restoring victims of sexual trauma requires extensive resources. We are currently providing college scholarships for dozens of young survivors who were rescued as children. Our local partners have cared for them from the beginning — for 10, 15, or even 20 years. They’re becoming social workers, legislators, teachers, lawyers, and artists. Their road has not been easy — they have endured psychological and physical wounds beyond imagination — and yet they have overcome the biggest obstacles and are proof to the world that no matter how dire the situation is, there is hope. They are the reason we believe that empowered survivors are the key to changing the world.
