We are honored to have partnered with PINK DOOR this season. To help spread the word and put a stop to women and children trafficking. Who they are and what they have built is really admirable.
One of the founders Rhonda Philips took the time to tell us more about the organization and teach about trafficking in general. We were so inspired and touched by her interview that we wanted to share with all of you.
Question: Can you tell us a little bit about Pink Door?
Answer:
We are a recovery and integration program for women and their children coming out of any kind of sexual exploitation, street prostitution, brothels, internet porn, even cult abuse. We are a long term program, we have a residence for the women to live and learn basic life skills. We help them calm down from these violent situations, they come from a lot of trauma. They just need a safe place to be and have their basic needs met. We also have an office day school space where we have social workers, teachers, therapists, people to help them with all their paper work, and then we offer different classes. Simple classes like art therapy, music therapy, anything that helps them release their pain and express their feelings. We also offer life skill classes, like computer skills, resume building, interview practicing. And lastly recovery classes. What is a heathy relationship? Feelings? Expressing your feelings and how to? Communication.
Question: When did your start
Answer:
We are three years old. We founded the NGO in 2014, but then we took a year to research and travel around Europe to pick the brains of people who are already doing this and have experience and find out the needs of women in Eastern Europe. And to also connect with women in other shelters so when we have women who want to go back to their home country, we know where we're sending them.
We then started looking for a house after about a year of research. We then found an office space, and here we are!
Question: What inspired you to start
Answer:
I was working in the Main Street area of prostitution in Berlin at a cafe, which was only for women in the red light district. Women can come in, have some tea or coffee, we'd refer them to a doctor or dentist, we offered shelter for over night stay if they needed, clean bathrooms. Anything they needed. I volunteered there for 8 years. Over the years I saw there were so many government women shelters, but you had to be in the social system so the shelters would be paid by the social system, or you had to be a victim of domestic violence. So, women who weren't in the system or victim of domestic violence, they didn't have an out. I felt that I should look into helping these women and making some sort of recovery program for those who don't fall into those categories.
Question: How many women have you helped transition
Answer:
We have had 25 women come to our shelter and our program. That doesn't mean they all stayed, all of them have trauma on some level. Like most recovery programs, they come and go anywhere from 3-5 times before they say "okay ill make a commitment". Right now we have three phases of our program. We currently have three women in phase three, on their own, working or studying, or they have babies and are staying home with them. We have two in phase two, out of the house and on their own but we still do their social work and they still come to our day school program. And we have one in phase one. She's just beginning the process.
Question: Have you ever felt in danger from working the organization?
Answer:
Yes. We deal with organized crime, women coming out of this, women who are controlled by pimps. So yeah, we've had some threats and some intimidating things happen. It can be very dangerous but we have protocols and a lot of security.
Question: What can we as a company do to help?
Answer:
Awareness. Who we are and what we do, especially in Germany. We are at the 3 year mark and are just really starting to become known. The government organizations are seeing that we are doing good work and are beginning to refer women to us. To help get Pink Door's name out there and that we're here and what we're doing.
Question: What can our followers do to help the cause
Answer:
Repost! Follow us, so others become aware of our cause. Also, getting involved in their own communities and getting to know what is happening there. Human trafficking is everywhere. Not just the big cities, small towns as well. Become aware of the issue and find out what you can do to help.
TO HELP SUPPORT THIS ORGANIZATION
zfniYRPLSlCA
BdIqNHZRUA
PGAHZORQwyXgaj
hYFgiCLQ
OPATqCdXYejRMLwx
Leave a comment