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FIRST DIBS! Get a pair of our NEW Colorwave Earrings for ONLY $5 at checkout with any order of $55 or more! Shop Now.

Fair Trade Jewelry and Ethical Fashion

Lulu’s Story of Hope – Rescued from the Brothels of East Asia

by | Stories of Hope

Read Time: 2 min. *** SOME CONTENT MAY BE SENSITIVE FOR SOME READERS*** Reminder: Trades of Hope only shares information that has been voluntarily provided through Artisan interviews and is shared with the Artisan’s permission for the purpose of raising awareness, inspiring hope, and empowering change.

Abused by Her Family

“I was born into a poor family. My father drank, gambled, and was frequently in and out of jail. My father beat me, and when I was twelve years old, my brothers raped me for the first time. My father said it was my fault.

Trafficked by Her “Boyfriend”

My parents eventually divorced, and when I was in middle school, I met a man who I thought treated me well. He ended up trafficking me to another city. I ran away and met another man who I thought was my boyfriend, but he also trafficked me into a brothel.

Rescued by a Community of Artisans

After working in the brothels for three years, I met this Artisan community outreach team. They offered me a job. I decided to take the opportunity to leave that terrible situation for a job making jewelry.

Opportunities to Learn

Since coming to this Artisan community, so many things in my life have changed! I’ve had the opportunity to study as an Artisan. I left my family when I was young and didn’t have the chance to go far in school because my family valued boys more than girls. Having the opportunity to take computer classes and pursue my dreams has been very significant.

I’ve had the opportunity to study computers and have become a Microsoft Office Specialist Master. This means I’ve received certifications in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook! I discovered my love for typing. I recently started taking typing classes and I’m pursuing my dream becoming a stenographer.

Opportunities to Grow

Today I’m married and have one young daughter. I love being a mom! I love working at a company who supports me and I love working with my friends! Every year we have a company retreat. I really enjoy spending time with my coworkers and friends outside of the office and getting to know them better.

As an Artisan, I’ve also had the opportunity to work on forgiving my family. My brother died suddenly in a car accident, and it sent me on a journey to work on forgiving other members of my family. Our relationships are still difficult, but I make the time to visit them more often and I am pursuing forgiveness.” – Lulu, Artisan in East Asia

*Trades of Hope is excited to celebrate this update from our Artisan partners in East Asia about Lulu:

Our Artisan community switched our website platform to one that is more user friendly with the intention of building marketing and website development into our vocational training program. LuLu and Ping have begun the training program and are quickly becoming a crucial part of our marketing and sales development team.

More East Asia Blogs

Click on each photo below to discover more about our Artisan partners and products in EAST ASIA.

Bai, Artisan in East Asia

Bai’s Story of Hope in East Asia

Women Rescued from Brothels in East Asia

Fashion as a Force for Good, Chenny’s, Li Ya’s, & Hong Fay’s Stories of Hope in East Asia

Fay’s Story of Hope in East Asia

Helping Women in East Asia Heal From the Trauma of Sex Trafficking

Helping Women in East Asia Heal From the Trauma of Sex Trafficking

Ling, Artisan in East Asia

How Sisterhood is Rescuing Women from Brothels in East Asia

Lan, Artisan in East Asia

Lan’s Story of Hope in East Asia

Mae, Artisan in East Asia

Restoring Hope to Victims of Sex Trafficking – Mae’s Story of Hope in East Asia

Fay, Artisan in North Asia

Stories of Hope in East Asia – Trades of Hope

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Kathy Thomas

Kathy Thomas

Kathy Thomas is an inspirational writer with a passion for helping women discover and celebrate their unique gifts and abilities. Kathy is part of the Communications Team at Trades of Hope focusing on Artisan advocacy.