Help stop human trafficking this holiday season

Earlier this year, Paste decided to make the Not For Sale Campaign its charity partner after learning the extent of modern-day slavery. Now we'd like your support in a very specific situation. Kru Nam, a Thai painter, was living in the city of Chang Mai when she began giving children blank canvases and asking them to paint their stories. She couldn't believe the horrifying images that began to take shape. The kids—most of whom weren't Thai, but from villages in Burma, Laos, Cambodia, Viet Nam and China—told her that they were sold into the karaoke clubs and brothels as sex slaves.

She began her rescue work in the most unsophisticated way possible—going into the clubs and running out with kids. It didn't take long for the owners to start keeping her out and threatening to kill her, so she moved her operation North to where traffickers were bringing the children into Thailand. She bought some property to house the kids she had rescued. She now takes care of 130 kids ages four to 17, helping them find a better life, beyond human sex traffickers and karaoke bars.

But she needs funds to help her complete the new village, named Buddies along the Roadside, which will have five dormitories, an arts and education center and plenty of land for the children to grow their own crops. The village is now over half done, but Kru Nam needs to raise another $60,000 to complete the project. The money will go towards:

*Housing shelters at the main Buddies village near Chiang Saen. These must be finished as soon as possible so that they can shelter the kids from the rainy season (January '08). And for other obvious reasons when working with kids who live on the streets, such as the simple need to give them an alternative. Total cost to complete construction - $30,000

*Medicines, vitamins, and general health care education. The kids learn to take care of their teeth, how to wash themselves, overall body care and skin care, and general healthy living (active, sports, music/dancing, self-esteem). Total cost of holistic health program - $10,000

*Funds to operate a drop-in center for kids who migrate to the border and are often vulnerable to trafficking. Major effort to reduce drug usage. Drugs used by the kids: Meth, Glue sniffing, morphine, opium. Total annual budget for drop-in center - $20,000

*Sports equipment of all kinds - $5000

*Music and art supplies - $2500

*Building a school, procuring basic educational supplies, and hiring one full-time teacher - $20,000 total costs

Our partners at OurStage are donating $2 to Kru Nam's project for every person who signs up through the Paste/OurStage/Not For Sale link here. You can also donate directly to the Not For Sale Campaign here.

About the NOT FOR SALE CAMPAIGN: Not for Sale, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization with headquarters in San Francisco, California, aims to educate and mobilize an international abolitionist movement. Inside the United States, the campaign identifies trafficking rings and collaborates with local law enforcement and community groups to shut them down and provide support for the victims. Internationally, the campaign partners with poorly resourced abolitionist groups to enhance their capacity.

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