Yvonne Mildred photo

Abused and alone, Rahel learned to survive on the streets by working as a prostitute. She was in her mid-teens, a school dropout, abandoned by her family. What else could she do? Her situation became unbearable. Then one Thursday night, right there on the street, Ruth Meakins and Yvonne Mildred befriended her. They were workers with Women At Risk, a SIM project reaching out to commercial sex workers. For the first time, she heard about Jesus and came to faith in Him.

Rahel joined Women At Risk and demonstrated her eagerness to learn and work. She longed to help women and girls still working on the streets. In 2001 Women At Risk, now autonomous, opened a halfway house for girls coming off the streets, and Rahel moved in to manage the house and help the girls.

She traveled to the USA in 2004 to give her testimony at a conference on commercial sex workers. She talked about all that God had done for her and the power that He gives to overcome the past—no matter what it is. As she spoke, her face radiated the love inside her.

Then AIDS took her down. In her weakened condition, she continued to go to the project every day to do paperwork and visit the girls. Her message was always the same: “Listen to God, stay close to Him, and don’t make wrong choices.” She died in February 2005. Her love for God and her testimony live on. Seeing the power of God transform an exploited woman gives us grace to keep on working in this context of incredible suffering.

It is God’s power that makes Women At Risk succeed. In a city with more than 60% unemployment, it is impossible for these uneducated girls to find work. Christian trainers teach them to sew clothing and home accessories that will sell. They also learn to produce pastries, chocolates, cards, and candles in order to find work or start their own small businesses.

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Project # ET 92105