They Are Our Reason, We Are Their Hope by Marcus Young, Founder, Project: AK-47
I wasn’t too happy about the fact that I woke up this morning at 4:30 a.m. But every time I tried to go back to sleep, I would begin to think about what I’d seen the last few days and end up crying like a baby.
We are in a little city called Isulan in Mindanao, Philippines. Almost every night we have been with girl prostitutes in different cities. Last night we were stopped at the military checkpoint a few kilometers before we entered our destination. In the dusky twilight, two teenage prostitutes emerged with shy but eager smiles to greet us on our rescue mission. Despite the tragic condition of their lives, they immediately showed excitement. These girls are the reason we’re here. They are our representatives of hope, of freedom, of other girls we will meet today.
These girls are the reason we’re here. They are our representatives of hope, of freedom.
We are their representatives of freedom from unloving hands. We are their hope of dignity, their hope of real love and value, their hope of adopted moms and dads. They will no longer have to dance at strip clubs and sleep with customers. The release of 10 girls has been negotiated and today they will be rescued. It’s 11/11/11 today. I don’t know what you think about the word divine, but to my soul this is any awesome, divine moment.
We are their representatives of freedom. The release of 10 girls has been negotiated, and today they will be rescued.
Last night I was flipping through the profiles of the girls over dinner. It was sobering. Human life written through suffering. A 14-year-old girl pregnant who can’t work. A 16-year-old orphan with nowhere to go but the arms of men who have a perverted sense of real love. There are hundred of girls here NOW that want out…and we are available to them. There are thousands of children in trafficked situations around the globe that Project: AK-47 has immediate access to. We have bridged across cultures and into conflict zones to build effective strategic partnerships for rescue and rehabilitation.
There are thousands of children in trafficked situations around the globe that Project: AK-47 has immediate access to.
With the detonation of 2 bombs within past few days, the Governor has insisted that we have a military escort at all times in this city. Think of the unprotected, unguarded risk these kids undergo with their fragile bodies and emotions. What we are risking by our travel here is a small thing compared to what they have been forced into.
We can look into the eyes of girl caught in sex trade and choose to be human beings that value dignity and freedom. We can be the hands that rescue.
I see the vivid beauty of thousands of young faces. A 10-year-old child soldier. A 15-year-old prostitute. I can rescue 10 here or 5 there, but we have crossed a threshold, we are in an amazing moment where we can rescue 100’s and even 1,000’s of kids. It’s absolutely wrong if we don’t do anything. The ball is in our court today. We, the PAK47 community, can make a difference, we can be the hands and feet of change. We can get their stories out. We can go to our circle of friends. We can look into the eyes of girls caught in this sex trade, of children carrying guns, and choose to be human beings that value dignity and freedom.
We can choose to live for something larger than ourselves.
We can be the hope.
We can be the hands that rescue.