My name is Regina Abuk Atak. I became an orphan when my village was raided and my parents were trafficked by the Janjaweed. But on the way to the North, Khartoum, the militia slaughtered them. I was left with my grandmother while I very small. As I am an orphan, first I would like to thank God for the chance he had given to me from where I was in the village. I was three years old when my parents were killed. After two years my grandmother was just sick and died within few minutes. I cried and cried when she passed away. All the people in the village were crying about me when I lost my grandmother. Somebody went to James Lual Atak, the director of New Life Ministry, and talked to him about me and he sent them to collect me from the village. It was a great deal to me when I was accepted as a NLM student. I am more delighted to you all for your help.
Get to know Susan, Martalinia, Deborah, Elizabeth and Regina!
Susan, Martalinia, Deborah, Elizabeth and Regina pictured with Isaac (NLM Child Sponsorship Coordinator)
On December 14th, this tenacious group of five young women will be honored at the third and largest-yet high school graduation at New Life Ministry (NLM), along the border of Darfur, South Sudan.
Each year we celebrate as more and more students advance through the anti-trafficking network’s education program into employment opportunities or university placement. Many of them are the first to be literate in their families.
Human Trafficking = The Exploitation of Vulnerability.
Young girls and women are the most vulnerable to trafficking in our world today—especially in war zones. “Trafficking” by the very nature of the word reflects movement.
Therefore, human trafficking is the movement of a person’s vulnerability towards the exploitation of that vulnerability.
Poverty is an obvious vulnerability—but not all poor people are exploited.
It’s Poverty+ that creates a perfect storm contributing to the vulnerable being most exploited: Poverty+ orphan-hood; poverty+ civil unrest/war; poverty+ cultural issues; poverty+ lack of education…
A celebration of Susan, Regina, Martalinia, Deborah, and Elizabeth’s determination is in order. For surely they have had all odds stacked against them: poverty+ orphan-hood, war, cultural issues by growing up in a nation where girls are commodities to be sold in childhood marriage, and widespread lack of education in their communities and country. And yet, with your partnership these young women persisted and have risen strong!
Their stories are also deeply personal for me. I was at NLM in 2006 on the day that James rescued Regina (the littlest of the bunch pictured here) and she found a new home and a place to belong.
Because of your years of support to lift up the vulnerable in Sudan and South Sudan, these precious lives are protected, graduations are now possible, and the future is being rewritten through them.
Over the next week I’ll be sharing their stories so you can get to know these inspiring young women of faith, grace, and determination.
Your partnership saves lives, restores hopes, and lifts up the vulnerable. #ShareLUV #GiveLUV
You Are Needed! If you would like to continue your child sponsorship simply donate online or mail in your check and designate your donation for your child. It’s that simple and it saves lives and restores hope. 100% of your donation will continue to be used for their care. Please contact me with any questions you may have.
With much LUV and appreciation,
Audrey Moore
Executive Director