Lake Day Fundraiser

Stopping Trafficking Before It Starts

The Challenge Children Face

Mission: Hope identified a large mountainside village, in Indonesia, of 10,000 people where impoverished children were often deceived into dropping out of school for child labor—a heartbreaking first step into the dark world of human and sex trafficking for many young girls.

In the past, Mission: Hope partnered with police and other organizations to rescue and rehabilitate many of these girls in safe houses.

But each time a child was rescued, traffickers would return to the same villages, recruiting more girls as young as 9 to 13 to take their place.

Why does this keep happening?

Great question! One of the best ways to answer it is to tell you a story we, unfortunately, hear over and over…

“When disaster strikes, a struggling farmer takes a loan from a predatory lender just to feed his family. When the debt becomes impossible to repay, the lender offers a “job” for the family’s young daughter in the city as a way to settle what’s owed.

What begins as work in a massage parlor or spa often turns into something far darker—children as young as 10 are trapped in human trafficking and, far too often, sex slavery.”

But this heartbreaking cycle doesn’t have to continue. Because of your generosity, hope is breaking through and real solutions are taking root.

Thanks to You, Lives Are Changing!

OVER $18,000 Raised!

Thanks to Sydney Schmitt, Graham Williams, and 130+ friends who came together for the Lake Day fundraiser, over $18,000 was raised to protect children from trafficking.

What started as a day of fun and community quickly became a powerful act of life-changing purpose.

Because of your generosity, children in this village are now safe, back in school, and gaining the skills and confidence they need to build a brighter future. Your support is making a real, lasting difference—one child at a time.

Children are now protected and empowered!

Together, these changes have transformed an entire community by replacing a cycle of exploitation with a legacy of protection, opportunity, and hope.

We could not be more grateful for your role in making this possible!

Children in this community will no longer be forced into child labor, sex tourism, or human trafficking. Here’s why:

  1. Community-Wide Awareness: For the first time, the entire village truly understands what happens when children are lured away. Families now see through the lies and are refusing to let their children become victims.

  2. Education for All: A new law requires children to stay in school. It is working, and attendance has already skyrocketed. Education is no longer a privilege but a right that is protected and enforced.

  3. Rescue and Restoration: Many children who had dropped out of school and been forced into labor or sex tourism have been given a second chance. Through our education program, they have earned their GED diplomas and regained both hope and opportunity for their futures.

  4. Skills and Character Training: A total of 217 children have completed courses in job skills as well as biblically based character development. These certifications provide real opportunities to break the cycle of poverty and avoid the traps of child labor. The training included computer literacy, English classes, and cooking, each of which gives children practical tools to support themselves and their families.

  5. Legal Protection: A groundbreaking new law now bans trafficking, child labor, and sex tourism in the village. This law is being enforced, which means children are not only safe today but will continue to be protected for generations to come.