The Persons in Trafficking report was just recently released and it doesn’t show much improvement on the part of the government of our beloved island of Dominican Republic. The fact of the matter is that I know that the hope for children of our country will never be found in any government solutions. The real hope for a little girl in the bondage of prostitution in the tourist zones of our island can only be found through the power of Jesus Christ. That power is most often presented to those girls through a walking and talking and loving and “being with” relationships with Spirit-filled believers. It is my passion to see the church, the Pentecostal church, in particular become a powerful force for transformation in the lives of boys and girls who live in the filth of bars and brothels.
Today I am thinking about my friends in Boca Chica. Angela, Natalie, Jaquelin. Their journey towards transformation was just beginning when I left. I am wondering about the three girls in a little town where the traffickers are very active. Their aunt had been taken to Argentina and was dying of AIDS. She would never return to her homeland because of the disgrace that it would cause her family. I’ll never forget 16 year old Miseidy asking me “When will we see you again? When can you come back to visit us?”
We have just a few months left to raise the remaining part of our budget to be able return in August. Please pray for God to provide and pray for the boys and girls in Dominican Republic that are victimized EVERY DAY, yes even TODAY.
Below I have posted a summary about the report from the Dominican Republic’s English news website www.DR1.com
Persons Trafficking report
The 2008 Trafficking in Persons Report from the US State Department highlights the DR as a Tier 2 country and urges the country to increase efforts to bring human traffickers to justice. The report also urged the DR to emphasize pursuing "complicit high-ranking government officials" who partake in this illegal activity." The Dominican Republic is a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children trafficked for the purposes of commercial sexual exploitation and forced labor. A large number of Dominican women are trafficked into prostitution and sexual exploitation in Western Europe, Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Costa Rica, Panama, Haiti, and other Caribbean destinations. A significant number of women, boys, and girls are trafficked within the country for sexual exploitation and domestic servitude." The report indicates that the Dominican government has made some attempt to curb the illegal trafficking of people. "The Government of the Dominican Republic does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so."
For more information see: www.state.gov/g/tip/rls/tiprpt/2008/
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