Prevent Human Trafficking in Ethiopia!

Just as St. Paul was so grateful to the people of Ephesus for their kindness and generosity, we are incredibly grateful for your continued support and caring for those in need. Without your generosity and concern for the poor, we would not be able to provide outreach and pastoral care for the tens of thousands of men, women and children being served by our missionaries in Africa. And as we once again celebrate Christmas and as another year draws to a close, I cannot help but thank you for all you have done for those in need!

Last spring, when I shared with you a letter I had received from Fr. Dominic Apee, one of our missionaries who then worked in Tamale, Ghana, you responded! Thanks to you, we were able to provide Fr. Dominic with the funds to construct a new rehabilitation center for those with mental illnesses (who had been roaming the streets and getting injured).

Early last summer, I wrote to you about the children of St. Martin de Porres Orphanage in Tanzania. The children desperately needed a new well so as to have a reliable source of clean, safe drinking water — and again you responded! Because of your generosity, we were able to provide the funds needed for the new well. What a blessing you are! Now as this year draws to a close, I am hoping that we can count on you once again.

Recently, I received a letter from Fr. Paul Reilly, one of our missionaries who is working in Ethiopia (East Africa). There, Fr. Paul is in charge of the Bruh Tesfa Youth Development Center — a program that provides recreation and education for children of the region. And in a country that is stricken by deep poverty, the challenges for young people are overwhelming!

“Ethiopia is at the forefront of the global migration crisis,” Fr. Paul writes. “So many impressionable young people are fleeing their homeland in search of employment. Unfortunately, these young people are susceptible to human traffickers who prey upon the hopes and dreams of these young ones in order to lure them into slavery or forced labor.”

“The end result of this is that many of our young people are dying in the desert and on the seas!” Fr. Paul continues. “In order to protect our vulnerable youth from human trafficking and slavery, we are developing a program to make them aware of the dangers and realities! Also, because Ethiopia is an intensely male-dominated society, we are working to help young women develop self-esteem in a culture which often relegates them to second-class citizens. I am hoping that you can help us. So much needs to be done!”

My friend, the issues of human trafficking and exploitation are a huge problem not only in Africa but here in the U.S. as well. There are ways that you can help fight this horrible practice. For example, a number of companies use human trafficking and forced labor as a means of making the most profit on their product. You can find out which companies still use child labor in the U.S. Department of Labor’s List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor. You can also share this information with friends as well as with those in your church and neighborhood.

I am also hoping that you will send a donation so that we can continue to provide outreach to young people in Fr. Paul Reilly’s mission in Ethiopia as well as our other missions throughout East Africa. While our goal is to raise at least $40,000 this Christmas, please know that any amount you send — no matter what the amount — will help our missionaries affect the lives of those most in need. Thank you again for all that you do. Have a blessed Christmas and a happy New Year!

 

Your Missionary Friend,

Denis P. Pringle
Director of Development