Ready to Soar!
Manasi's Story
January 2022
Not too long ago, Jean and I saw our youngest daughter off to college. As she headed off to a new life on a distant campus, we waved goodbye with full hearts: Another one safely launched from the nest. She’s ready to soar!
Her triumph is thanks to the generosity of Voice of Prophecy donors, steadfastly supporting her at our rehabilitation home for trafficking survivors. And with your gift today, we’ll see more girls like Manasi launched toward their own bright futures.
NO PLACE FOR A CHILD
Ten years ago, Manasi faced a drastically different future. She was nine years old then, but she wasn’t learning in the classroom about writing paragraphs or multiplication—she wasn’t even out playing in the streets with friends.
Instead, Manasi was forced to walk those streets begging for money, scrounging whatever she could from the charity of motorists, tourists, and everyday people. It was exhausting work, and the city’s teeming, traffic-heavy intersections could be dangerous places for children. But she had no choice: if she didn’t bring back enough money for her “father” that day, he would beat her.
He wasn’t really her father. Long ago, Manasi’s real parents had abandoned her, and since the age of five she had been forced to beg on the streets. She wasn’t the only victim of her ruthless handler—the man, along with a female accomplice, ran a whole illicit begging operation, corralling kids in dirty makeshift tents and compelling them to beg and hand over the money each day.
FIGHTING A GIANT EVIL
Such operations are all too common in India, I’m sorry to say. Traffickers work to feed a broad system of forced labor, begging, and prostitution. With urbanization in general and the recent economic upheaval of COVID-19 in particular, the scale of the problem has grown at an alarming rate. Add in issues of police corruption and local collusion, and it can all seem overwhelming.
How can we possibly prevail against such endemic evil?
“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good,” Paul reminds us. (Romans 12:21) We are NOT left alone in this fight. The King who came to overcome sin and establish justice offers us heaven’s might for the task!
Will you offer your help in this fight? By funding the Voice of Prophecy’s rescue home, you can provide a Christian haven of hope for the girls and women caught in this monstrous web of exploitation.
You can change their dark future. Just like Manasi’s was changed . . .
LEADING THE RESCUERS
In a city-wide raid led by government officials and local non-profits, one of the teams rescued Manasi off the streets and brought her to local child welfare authorities. Unfortunately—as often happens in cases like these—her handlers showed up as well, claiming to be family and trying to get her released to them.
Young Manasi, however, was strong and brave: she not only told the team that these people weren’t her relatives, but she also revealed that they were forcing other kids like her to beg and offered to show the team the place where they all were held.
Based on her information, a new team was able to locate the group of shabby tents and eventually find and rescue 12 other children and women from captivity!
In the aftermath, her two handlers admitted to lying and were immediately booked at the police station. The long arc of justice had finally caught up to them.
It’s a powerful example for the rest of us. Thousands of children and women in India remain trapped in similar dire circumstances. Will you remember them with a gift today? At our rehabilitation home, they can find freedom, safety, and healing—the building blocks of a better life.
A HOUSE OF HOPE
As thrilling as rescue raids are, they’re only one part of the solution. Effective long-term programs of care are essential for girls like Manasi to find stability and grow toward independence.
With the help of her case workers, Manasi was able to attend a local school, where her friendly nature helped her to mix well with the other kids. She was a keen, interested student. She dreamed of one day becoming a teacher.
When our home first opened in 2016, Manasi was one of the first girls to join its comprehensive program. There, she found a safe place where all her physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual needs were covered. The faithful contributions of Voice of Prophecy donors allow this home to address all aspects of post-rescue rehabilitation: medical care, trauma counseling, job training, development of life skills such as money management, and guided reintegration into the community.
Throughout it all, the love of God shines through every part of life at this house of hope. Regular prayer and worship assured Manasi and her friends that they were precious daughters of God—the One who came to give them “a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11)
FROM SURVIVOR TO THRIVER
As Anita, the founder of the home, could tell you, running such an extensive program takes a considerable amount of time, energy, and funds. But you can’t argue with the results.
After several years of classes and growing skills and self-confidence, Manasi is ready to “graduate” from the home. This bright, resourceful young lady has been accepted into university, where she’ll continue to pursue her dreams of becoming a leader in her community.
This is a HUGE accomplishment. I’m so proud of Manasi—and of Anita and all the work her team is doing for these girls. This is what we’ve dreamed about: empowering these young women to thrive in their new lives.
But this is just the beginning. While Manasi’s moving on, other girls are still waiting to be launched—and waiting to be rescued in the first place. Your support today can make all the difference.
You can help them soar. And when they do, believe me—your heart will, too.
Your brother in Christ,
Shawn Boonstra
Speaker/Director
*name changed to protect privacy
Your donation helps:
- Rescue: Girls from the dangerous streets of inner-city India
- Rehabilitate: Through education and life skill training
- Restore: Lives filled with hope, a future, and love for Jesus