ZOE INTERNATIONAL

Our ultimate aim is to reach the lost with the Gospel of Jesus Christ and, through the power of the gospel to transform hearts and minds, to effectuate a long-term change in the attitudes toward and acceptance of human trafficking – especially of children – in Thailand.

In a micro-sense, the primary groups we seek to assist are children at risk of human trafficking and children who have already been caught in the snare of slavery. However, in a macro-sense, we seek to help the whole of society to make a shift from a mindset that turns a blind eye toward child trafficking to a mindset that rejects and actively opposes the sexual and financial exploitation of children.

Our vision is to help fulfill God's dream that every person on earth will know Him and possess eternal life through Jesus Christ; and that in lands where Christ is unknown, His love will be experienced, His kingdom will reign, His Church will be built, His disciples will multiply, and He will be glorified.

To that end, ZOE's primary objective is to rescue and protect destitute children from slavery. We desire to provide a holistic answer to the question “Who will embody the love, mercy, and good news of God to orphans and vulnerable children who have been enslaved or who are highly at risk of being enslaved?" At ZOE International Ministries, we know that God's heart is broken for these children because He is the “father to the fatherless" (Ps. 68:5). “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I [Jesus] have come that they may have life (Gr: zoe), and have it to the full" (John 10:10). We derive great joy and peace understanding that while the challenges surrounding trafficking issues are immense, God is greater than the evil and is able to overcome it. We desire that all of the world's children will be safe and aware of their worth as beloved creations of the almighty God.

Over the next few years, ZOE will focus its resources in three areas to lay a foundation for lasting change in Thailand. First, a crucial part of ZOE's holistic strategy to eradicate trafficking from Thailand is to increase the resiliency of local communities and families against the ploys of traffickers. Our multi-faceted strategy includes anti-trafficking education, business mentoring, food distribution, medical teams, leadership training, agricultural skills, coordinating access to social services and citizenship documents, and network-building. Since 2008, our Prevention Teams have brought awareness of human trafficking to over 12,000 people at more than 80 venues, primarily vulnerable rural villages. Over the next 5 years we will increase the number of prevention outreaches as well as their efficacy by developing better resources, materials, and tools.

Second, ZOE believes that only when the citizens of Thailand stand up and speak out in strong opposition to human trafficking, that lasting change will come. It is not foreign organizations or workers that will be the change agent in Thailand, but the Thai people themselves. But we believe we are called to come alongside and encourage, educate, and equip them to take on this battle.

The ZOE Ministry School (ZMS) is a two-year ministry and leadership school for young adults with a curriculum focused on developing pastors, evangelists, and Christian leaders in business and other disciplines. Our ministry school has graduated 99 students and currently has 35 students.

The goal of ZMS is to produce graduates who have a strong knowledge of the Bible, who have learned and begun to master the principles of leadership, management, and business, who have a passing ability to speak English and Thai, and who are educated and articulate regarding all aspects of human trafficking, particularly with respect to the trafficking of children.

We believe that the young men and women who graduate from ZMS will be the leaders in Thailand and the region in the fight against human trafficking. They will be the voice of their generation demanding an end to modern day slavery.

Third, a major goal of ZOE's leadership is to train our 60-plus Thai staff in every aspect of what ZOE does: from rescuing children from human trafficking, to organizing and implementing our prevention and education outreach program, to operating our aftercare facilities and raising the children we rescue. The Americans and Australian volunteers at ZOE's facilities in Thailand fully understand that we are guests in this country and there may come a day when we may be asked to leave. Should that happen, we want the work of ZOE to continue without missing a beat. Therefore one of our primary objectives is to train our local staff to do with excellence everything we do and to raise up among our employees strong leaders who understand and embrace our mission, values, and vision.

ZOE is unique in that we are the only organization in the region whose scope of services provides a comprehensive and holistic approach to anti-trafficking incorporating prevention, intervention, and aftercare. ZOE has been very deliberate in cultivating effective partnerships and in developing proven prevention, intervention, and aftercare strategies and programs.

• Partnerships: ZOE is an important member of the Anti-Trafficking Multi-Disciplinary Task Force (MDT). Thai government members include the Ministry of Social Welfare and Human Security, Immigration Department, and Transnational Crime Unit Police Region 5 (TCU), the law enforcement agency responsible for anti-trafficking activity in Chiang Mai and northern Thailand; NGOs include TRAFCORD, New Life Center, International Justice Mission, and the MAP Foundation. In addition, ZOE has formed productive partnerships with other NGOs including World Vision, Children's Hunger Fund, Chab Dai, and the San Jai Network.

• Prevention: ZOE's efforts are based on building community resiliency because strong communities are better able to resist trafficking. (See “Strategies" above for more information.)

• Intervention: The ZOE Trafficking Intervention Team works closely with the MDT. In addition, ZOE has partnered with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement/Homeland Security Investigations. In 2010-2011, these effective partnerships resulted in 80 victims being identified and rescued from sex and labor trafficking in conjunction with 5 raids conducted leading to 15 prosecution cases (5 of which are pending) and 7 convictions.

• Aftercare: Our quality of care for children is second to none. Not only do we provide the specialized care needed by children who have been traumatized through human trafficking, but we have structured our aftercare on a “family unit" model. ZOE's average caretaker-to-child ratio is 1:4 which is practically unheard of in aftercare facilities in Thailand. ZOE parents are indigenous staff who have been through a lengthy application process and become paid employees. Not only does ZOE provide nutritional food, medical care, education, and other essentials to minors, but we also have a college scholarship program for those who wish to pursue post-secondary education. In 2010, ZOE built a new 40,000 sq. ft. facility increasing our capacity to 250 children and we are currently in the process of completing a 5,700 sq. ft. new building to accommodate 60 additional beds for at-risk and rescued victims of trafficking. We also operate several off-site safe houses (10 beds) for short-term specialized care to facilitate the trial process, witness protection, medical clearance, and initial rehab/counseling pursuant to integration in our aftercare facility.

In 2013, the Thai Ministry of Social Welfare brought the directors of all of its government aftercare facilities to ZOE to observe and learn.

Reaching people with the Gospel
• We have over 100 graduates and 6 graduating classes in our Leadership Training program
• Many of our graduates are now fulltime ministers, teachers, and businessmen
• Our graduates are spreading the message of Christ to areas that have never heard about Jesus
• Our current students continually share the gospel through city and village outreaches
• They proclaim the gospel through public speaking, drama & dance, music, and humanitarian efforts
• Our current facilities limit us from training more leaders
• Our current funding prevents us from supporting national leaders who could be more effective

Rescuing children from human trafficking
• We are continually spreading public awareness of child trafficking in schools, churches, and businesses
• Our prevention message is “how to protect oneself and how to protect others" from human trafficking
• We continue to rescue orphans in danger and child victims of trafficking
• We continue to love, care for, restore, and provide safety to many orphans and child trafficking victims
• We are involved in more cases, criminal prosecutions, repatriations, and victim services than ever before
• We have been able to increase our effectiveness due to more and better qualified and trained staff
• We have added more land, housing, equipment, and vehicles enabling us to accomplish more
• Our network continues to grow with governments, defense agencies, NGO's, and social services
• More resources both human and financial would help us meet the ever increasing opportunities
• We have stayed focused and tried to avoid the dangers of spreading ourselves to thin in too many areas