Mali’s skin was covered in tattoos. When asked if getting the tattoos hurt, the young girl replied, “Not at all. Nothing can hurt me anymore.” Like many young girls in Thailand, Mali, whose name we’ve changed for her privacy, is no stranger to sexual abuse. As a...
For most of 9-year-old Lawan’s life, she’s had nowhere to really call home. She was born in an impoverished, rural village in Thailand to a mother who was only 14. Her teenage mom did everything she could to take care of Lawan (whose name we’ve changed for privacy),...
I don’t bake much, but when I do it’s usually at Christmas. I follow one of my grandmother’s most cherished recipes: her incredible, red velvet chocolate cake. It’s hard work to get it right, but it’s worth it because of all the memories that come flooding back with...
Would you rather your daughter become a doctor or a sex worker? The answer is pretty obvious. Unfortunately, for mothers living in the Banchara community of India, what they want for their daughters doesn’t always happen. Arthi’s mother wants her to follow her dream...
Most kids get excited when you ask what they want to be when they grow up. One week it’s a teacher. The next week it’s a police officer or a firefighter. Next month, it might be a scientist or a helicopter pilot. Regardless, they have big dreams as they think about...
