23 girls and young women stepping into freedom in the Philippines

Efforts in collaboration with law enforcement rescued 23 survivors of sex trafficking, including four minors, and facilitated the arrest of three alleged perpetrators.

After we received a tip that girls and young women were being sold for sex by a pimp in a southern region of the Philippines, agents began collaboration with local law enforcement – our first mission ever in this region.

The operation was the result of months of hard work and case building. We worked alongside police to provide undercover surveillance, intelligence gathering and on-scene support during the raid.

Our social worker collaborated with the Filipino Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) team and assisted in the support of survivors immediately after rescue.

Rescue Update Archive

6 Rescued from Sexual Exploitation in Thailand

Five women and one 14-year-old girl were rescued during a raid.

Destiny Rescue agents collaborated with Thai law enforcement by providing undercover work, surveillance and intelligence gathering to prepare for the raid. Their findings uncovered that a local karaoke bar was acting as a front for illicit sex trafficking. The ensuing raid was a success; the women were all returned home safely, and the child was entrusted to a local shelter to recover from all she had endured.

40 Kenyans—mostly children—are now free from exploitation

36 children and four young adults have been rescued from sexual exploitation in Kenya

While a few were being controlled by a human trafficker, most of the survivors had been driven by desperation to sell themselves to survive. Debt, illness and addiction were common factors that contributed to their financial desperation.

Now, things are different. All 40 survivors have enrolled in our Community Care program. This program takes a holistic approach to addressing the vulnerabilities that led to their exploitation so that these survivors will be equipped to live a life of sustainable freedom.

9 Kids Free in South Asia

The girls, who were all between 14 and 17 years old, are now recovering in a Destiny Rescue Residential Home.

All but one of the girls were forced to sell their own bodies just to afford basic necessities. One child was rescued from generational exploitation. That means that while she hadn’t been exploited yet, her mother was a sex worker, putting the 15-year-old girl in dire danger of sexual abuse as well. All too often, children born into such circumstances take up their parents’ trade because it’s the only option available.

Thankfully, that girl, along with the other eight, is beginning a bright, hopeful new chapter in life.

15-year-old Dominican girl was rescued after her mother let an adult abuse the child.

After being rescued from an adult abuser, a child has been separated from her mother, who allowed the abuse.

A local school in the Dominican Republic reported the suspected abuse to authorities. Our agents helped police with the investigation, which revealed that the child’s mother knew the man and enabled the “relationship.” Agents reported that the child felt great relief when the man was arrested. She’s now living safely with her father.

20 Children Free from Sexual Exploitation

20 Rescued from Exploitation in Zimbabwe

While they all faced sexual exploitation, only one of them was being controlled by a trafficker.

Poverty drives vulnerability. All of those other girls were forced to sell their bodies just to provide for their families without a trafficker being involved at all. Some of them had sick parents and mounting medical bills. Some of their parents struggled with addiction. They all needed food for their families, and with no other options, they endured the unthinkable just to survive.

Now things are different for those kids. All of them enrolled in our care, where they’ll learn to move past the trauma they suffered while being equipped to live free.

These brave girls sacrificed so much for their families. Their road ahead will still be difficult, but after vocational training, they can join other survivors who’ve landed stable jobs or even become entrepreneurs. Best of all, they’ll walk that road in freedom.