*Alias used to protect survivor identity.
In Southeast Asia, a young girl named *May was just 17 years old, living in economically vulnerable conditions with her mother and older sister. Her mother worked as a housekeeper earning just enough to meet their most basic needs. May carried a quiet hope for a different future. Like many people her age, she believed life had more to offer and that she just needed to find her way. But that hope was taken advantage of, and she ended up in a situation that stripped her sense of control and safety: she was sexually exploited.
For roughly seven months, May lived in exploitative conditions before government authorities and partner organizations, including Our Rescue, supported her in accessing safety and care.
With an unyielding desire to press forward, May later received a scholarship from Our Rescue and began vocational training. It was a new chapter, but starting over was not easy.
Others at the training soon learned that May had been in state care. Their behavior toward her immediately shifted, and May felt judged for something she never chose, carrying a label she couldn’t shake.
“I don’t want to be just a number in a government report,” May said. “I just want to be a student—someone who gets to dream.”
May chose to step away from environments where she felt labelled by her past. She instead sought support where she could be seen first for who she was, as a person, and not only as someone defined by past experiences.
There were days when May felt the world was enormously heavy, and believing in herself was difficult. It was during these times when she questioned her social worker, “Why do you go to such lengths to help me?”
This question surfaced from incredible depths of pain and from the impact of what she had endured. Like many survivors, May struggled to believe that she was worthy of compassion, support, and the opportunity to carve out a better future.
To May’s surprise, the answer was simple: “You deserve support because of the effort you’re making.”
It wasn’t about her past. It was about who she was choosing to be now: a person who keeps going, against all odds.
Today, May is 20 years old. She has completed her vocational certificate and is now pursuing further training. Her days are full. She studies, works part-time in the evenings, and continues building the future of her dreams. When she talks about what’s next, she is clear: “I want to study as far as I can go.”
It is steady progress, and it is her’s.
May is no longer defined by what happened to her. With support from people around her, her community, and programs like Our Rescue she is finding her footing, making decisions on her own terms, and, in quiet but very clear ways, showing others the kind of strength required to move forward, even when the path is not easy.
Stories like May’s depend on the support of donors like you. By giving to Our Rescue, you enable us to partner with organizations around the world and to give survivors the opportunity to build the future of their dreams. Your generosity fuels so much more than just rescue – it helps sustain the healing journey and creates brighter outcomes for so many.
