Wipe Every Tear is not just a mission; it’s a movement dedicated to transforming lives and empowering women to reclaim their dignity and hope.
Wipe Every Tear rescues and restores women trapped in the sex trade, bringing them hope and giving them freedom and a real future–a future that will pull them out of the sex trade and give them a true and accurate life.
The Mission
I thought it would be appropriate to share Wipe Every Tear’s mission statement: “From safe places to call home to education and discipleship, Wipe Every Tear exists to give women the opportunity to have their lives fully restored.”
Prostitution and trafficking are considerable problems in a lot of areas in the Philippines. In the red-light districts specifically, there are bars where women “work” and are trafficked and prostituted. During a conversation with Kenny, Founder and Director of Wipe Every Tear, he shared that, unlike most countries, women can be bought for an entire night in the Philippines. Kenny went on to tell me that hearing the rescued women’s stories is an incredibly challenging aspect of his job. Wipe Every Tear is on a mission to help bring these women out of these horrible situations.
The Rescue
Wipe Every Tear hosts teams that come to the Philippines on mission trips and will go into the red-light districts’ bars to rescue trafficked women. The teams stay out late into the night, approaching the women in the bars to show them the love of Jesus. The teams will approach the women and ask if they’d be interested in receiving more education which in turn would help them to get out of the prostitution settings. Most women will quickly take them up on the offer but some will ignore them or take longer to return to the team.
Most women are very excited about the opportunity. Unlike in the United States, you need a college degree to do even the most straightforward jobs in the Philippines so earning a college degree is a life-changing opportunity for these women.
Kenny shared that when they started doing this red light bar outreach, they would walk in seriously and sit in the back corner stoically. After using this approach rather unsuccessfully for a while, he realized that they should be walking into these bars filled with joy and hope because Jesus brings joy and hope! They switched their demeanor when entering the bars and soon realized that more women responded positively and chose to leave the bars.
After the teams reach the women, they host a retreat where the women who want to leave the bars can stay at a nice resort. There, the team can offer the women a time of rest and can share the gospel with the women if they are willing to hear it. After the retreat, the women can stay at one of Wipe Every Tear’s safe houses, where they are supported in whatever they need. Kenny shared that the staff at Wipe Every Tear understands that education is critical for these women to make a future for themselves, so they assist with anything they can throughout their schooling.
New Opportunity
At their office and safe houses, women who formerly worked in the bars are working full-time jobs. These women have completed their education and earned degrees because they were rescued, and their biggest desire is to go back to help others like themselves. Kenny shared that some of the most disheartening moments are when they reach out to an interested woman, but she never shows up at the meeting spot for the retreat. Those at Wipe Every Tear never lose hope, though. “All we can do is keep trying and hope they will decide to come to us and let us help them.” Kenny had said.
Wipe Every Tear’s office is busy all day with women coming in to receive counseling, education, and other forms of help. The women receive a small daily allowance that they can spend on transportation to and from school, food, savings, or to send home to their families. Kenny shared that while it isn’t much, it teaches essential money management. The girls are taught by a staff member how to manage their funds. They give women the support and resources necessary to rebuild their lives and have brighter futures!
So, how can you get involved in helping to end human trafficking?
One way to make a huge difference is to join a team on a mission trip in the Philippines to reach women yourself. Kenny stated that the bars are geared more toward international tourists and that having an international tourist with you will get you in faster and allow you to interact with the girls more. What a powerful opportunity!
You can also donate to Wipe Every Tear by purchasing through Simply Earth since 13% of profits go to end human trafficking. Or you can donate directly to Wipe Every Tear!
Kenny also shared the value of praying. They have seen God work in the past and know He will continue to do so; the staff at Wipe Every Tear greatly appreciate prayer. Learn more about Wipe Every Tear’s work at https://www.wipeeverytear.org/ or on Facebook and Instagram @wipeverytear.