Projects

International prostitution and trafficking of women and children is increasing. It is the third largest and fastest growing criminal industry in the world and one of the most urgent human rights issues today.

Rahab Ministries in Patpong Thailand is increasingly involved in addressing both the symptoms and the sources of this epidemic problem.

Patpong is well known as a centre for sex entertainment in Thailand and is patronized by many tourists. Quiet by day with a few shops, restaurants and small businesses, at night Patpong becomes vibrant and alive with neon signs, loud music and more than 100 beer bars, Go-Go bars, brothels and massage parlours. It is estimated that each night over 4,000 women work there. Many women and young women working in Patpong have come from poor families in the rural areas of Thailand and have little formal education and few employable skills.

Many are under the age of 18 and working in the bars. They come to Bangkok to earn money to support their families. At first, they do not realise that working in the bars involves prostitution, and once they realise, they are unable to leave without major repercussions.

At Rahab, women are given the opportunity of an alternative lifestyle. Rahab provides bar-visitation, friendship, counselling, support, accommodation and income producing skills including hairdressing, beauty therapy and the creating of jewellery and other handcrafted items.

The Rahab beauty salon is located in the heart of Patpong and serves from 20 to 40 women each night as they get ready for work. This provides a great opportunity for staff members to reach the women and offer them an alternative to working in the bars.

Each week Rahab workers visit women in the bars offering friendship and personal affirmation; seeking to build caring relationships with the women. Rahab are seeking to expand their support to Northeastern Thailand, from which most of the women in the bars come from.

As relationships are built and women want to leave the bars, Rahab staff offers them the opportunity to be sponsored to further their education (many of them want to be trained as hairdressers), and can offer immediate housing, a job working on our income generation project (i.e. Rahab Bazaar), a caring environment in which they will learn about the love of Christ, and sometimes help with daycare for their children or even sponsorship for their children's education. Each woman's individual needs are carefully considered as Rahab seeks to facilitate the first step in helping them gain back their dignity and independence and begin a new life

Rahab Ministries centre and beauty shop is situated in the middle of the busy bar area of Patpong. Hairdressing and makeup are a means of encouraging the women to come to the centre for friendship, support, practical help, relaxation, and recreation. The shop provides some employment for women wishing to leave prostitution.

Preventative Education

Preventative education in Thai primary and secondary schools has begun in the Issan villages of Northeastern Thailand

Preventative Education could save many young boys and girls from being sexually exploited. Rahab staff visit schools in order to build rapport within the community and educate the children on the dangers of aids, drugs and trafficking.

Jewellery for a Cause

Jewellery for a cause is a personal and charitable enterprise run by Karen Nash in Perth West Australia supporting Rahab Ministries. Karen sells the unique and hand-made jewellery to help provide women wishing to leave prostitution with a source of alternative income.

In the first few months of choosing to leave the bars, women may work for the Rahab centre to have both an immediate income and to give them some time to pursue training and education or time to decide what they want to do long term. The women are taught to make products including greeting cards, jewellery, and other handcrafted items.

All jewellery is made with the highest quality gems, beads, silver and materials. If you would like to purchase the jewellery, or interested in having a home jewellery party please contact Karen Nash at

Belinda Vecchio - Wealth with a Cause
PO Box 767, Mt Lawley 6929, Western Australia
E-mail

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