Elana

ELANA is 5 YEARS OLD. She was BORN IN A BROTHEL.

Her mother and her aunt both worked in a brothel. Due to a troubled marriage, her mother left her husband and, after some years, married another man who was one of her customers. This new husband wanted Elana's mother to move with him to his village.

However, Elana was never accepted by this new family. When her mother had two sons by her new husband, the stepfather and his family began physically and verbally abusing Elana. The abuse escalated to the point where Elana’s life was in undeniable danger.

For her daughter’s safety, Elana’s mother called her sister and asked her to take Elana away. Elana's aunt rushed to the village and returned her niece to the brothel. Although this was far from ideal, it was a temporary refuge for Elana.

Our Project Rescue team heard about Elana and immediately began organizing her papers to bring her to one of our safe homes. However, when Elana's stepfather found out about these plans, he began torturing Elana's mother, demanding that the child be brought back. Confused and terrified, her mother instructed Elana's aunt to return the child to the abusive home.

Elana's aunt, distressed by this turn of events, shared the situation with our team. We encouraged her to come to our center for support and prayed for a resolution. During this time, Elana's mother had a change of heart. She realized that for Elana to have a better future and an education, she needed to stay with Project Rescue.

Despite knowing she would continue to face abuse from her husband, Elana's mother decided to prioritize her daughter's well-being and future. She expressed her desire for Elana to stay with Project Rescue, hoping it would provide her with safety and opportunities she could never offer her daughter.

Today, Elana is safe in one of our Project Rescue homes. She receives an education and grows up in a nurturing and supportive environment. Surrounded by love and care, Elana is beginning to heal from her traumatic past and is looking forward to a future filled with hope and possibility.

You can support a survivor of exploitation’s education by funding a scholarship. Education plays a huge role in a survivor's journey toward restoration. It provides them with personal challenges while equipping them with tools to build a future free of exploitation. With your next gift, please select “I would like to support Scholarships” from the drop-down and be a part of how a survivor finds hope int the future.