News

July 3rd, 2024

REFUGE

In our previous blog, we announced that we are reintroducing the SA Program Model. Our upcoming content will focus on each part of the SA Program Model "5 R's" over the next few months.

The first R stands for "REFUGE."

Every woman deserves a safe place to begin her journey towards healing and recovery. A REFUGE filled with hope and love provides just that. It's where women can take the first step towards reclaiming their lives and rebuilding their futures.

It's not enough just to be rescued; victims of sexual exploitation experience severe PTSD symptoms and are at risk of other mental health problems such as depression, suicidal thoughts and attempts, problems with alcohol abuse, and many more.

It's like imprisoning a bird for most of its life; it will forget how to fly. The same thing happens to women who have been subjected to abuse and exploitation. Unless someone takes the time to teach and support them, showing them that they are valued and capable of achieving more, they will remain trapped in their own thoughts, trauma, and false beliefs, making it nearly impossible for them to start a new life.

The SA Foundation empowers and equips leaders worldwide to help women who are victims of sexual exploitation. Our goal is to enable these women to lead fulfilling and dignified lives. We strive to provide a safe and secure environment for the women we serve, helping them begin their journey towards healing. Through collaborative efforts with people like you, we aim to provide true freedom to these women.

The SA program model has three distinct stages and boasts a 73% success rate:

1st Stage – Front Line Housing:
Young women start by exiting sexual exploitation and move into front-line housing. In this supportive context, participants develop basic living skills.

2nd Stage – Transitional Housing:
This level of housing aims to increase participants' responsibility and freedom within a monitored environment. A housing Support Worker is on-site to ensure the overall safety and security of the home and offer problem-solving assistance as needed.

3rd Stage – Independent Living:
The objective of the Independent Housing structure is for participants to either move into Phase III housing or move into an apartment in the community at large once they have reached all the markers to ensure a successful transition to independent living.

We aim to expand the SA Program Model globally and grow our SA Global Network. We have a well-documented development process in place for implementing the SA Model. This process begins with reaching out to those willing to start a project. We then assess, train, and develop a local program with the help of local people. As a result, we expand the SA Global Network by sharing stories of trained and empowered leaders, women, and children who have been saved. We build a network of safe refuge places while providing updated training to our network.

Our SA Global Network operates with unwavering strength and determination in crisis zones worldwide. The teams will ensure that women escaping human trafficking and sexual exploitation receive the help they require. Here is a short update on our network:

Asia– Our oldest project outside of North America is in Nepal, and it is flourishing. Our newest project in the Philippines finished our comprehensive leadership assessment and plans to launch its project this Fall (2024).

Europe– Hungary is our oldest project in Europe and has just opened a new REFUGE location. We also have projects in Germany, Italy, and Greece.

North America– We have helped start, train, and carry out projects to develop REFUGE homes and apartments in Canada and the US.

Last February, our team finished their assessment and training in the Philippines and went to Nepal for their annual evaluation, training, and certification.

The Philippines:
The team from the Philippines is prepared and enthusiastic about bringing hope and healing to the women they will serve. They plan to launch the project in Fall 2024, and we eagerly anticipate its positive impact on the community. We are thrilled with their progress. The team will continue training until the launch date, and we will provide ongoing mentorship and financial support. We are very excited about that.

Nepal:
The team in Nepal underwent their annual SA Global Network certification. Additionally, they received new training to help them continually deliver the SA Program Model excellently. They are also implementing measures to become more sustainable and offer new services to support their budget.

Please stay tuned and come back here frequently, as we will update the life of the SA Foundation and its Global Network.

June 3rd, 2024

5 R’s of SA Model

Starting this month, we are re-introducing the SA Program Model in its essence.

Sexual exploitation crime is getting more organized to the extent of being considered a business-like type. It accounts for 79% of all human trafficking cases. Shockingly, 20% of the victims worldwide are children, while 7 in 10 human trafficking victims are women and girls.

One of the most significant issues is the limited access to help for women and girls. Research has shown that sexual abuse has catastrophic effects on the health and well-being of survivors. Survivors of sexual exploitation often experience severe PTSD symptoms. They are at risk of other mental health problems, including depression, suicidal thoughts and attempts, problem alcohol abuse, disordered eating behaviours, and sexual dysfunction. These symptoms are similar to those experienced by soldiers returning from war.

This highlights that rescuing women alone is insufficient. To ensure proper reintegration and better life opportunities, we must address their trauma and offer new skills development opportunities.

So, where is the SA Foundation in the context of all this? Three pillars move the SA Foundation: Education, Recovery and Social Enterprise.

Our RECOVERY program, the SA Program Model, is focused on what we call 5R:


1. Refuge
The SA Program Model offers a long-term recovery program (3 to 7 years) for young women 18 years and older, and their children who have been sexually exploited and/or trafficked, which includes increased levels of independence factored into each program phase.

2. Restore
Our unique curriculum is delivered through facilitators and an engaged community committed to walking through recovery and life with each participant.

3. Reintegrate
Our Skill Development and Education Program offers each participant a unique training platform where they get to develop transferable and practical life skills toward their economic stability and freedom. This is essential for each woman to succeed in seeing their life rewritten.

4. Rewritten
The Followcare Program is provided to all past participants and provides the follow-up and care they need to succeed in the community. Invitations to events are extended, one-on-one care is provided, and opportunities to lead classes and/or sponsor new program participants are created.

5. Replicate
Through their recovery journey, each woman has been given the tools to do life differently than what their past experiences have taught them. For generational change and to stop the cycle of enslavement, these moms must replicate all they have learned in their child’s life for there to be a new positive cycle to start. This is the way these women actually become generation changers.


The SA Program model has around 30 years of experience and an incredible 73% success rate. With those many years and this incredible success rate, the SA Foundation (SAF) served more than 6,200 women and more than 2,000 children.

At SA's heart, we replicate this model training, supporting and mentoring the project implemented worldwide. The SA Program Model network is implemented in Nepal, Greece, Italy (North Italy and Bologna), Hungary, and Canada. We are in the process of opening in the Philippines and Thailand.

Our goal is to expand and implement the SA Model everywhere there is a need. We can only do this with the help of those who value women's lives and believe in their potential for change.

Please consider joining our Liberty Collective community, which actively seeks justice. Learn more clicking in the link below.

https://www.safoundation.com/liberty-collective

March 26th, 2024

Charitable Choices: Carla S. of the SA Foundation (Vancouver Guardian)

As Vancouver Guardian's Charitable Choice of the Month, our Director of International Program Development, Carla S., recently had the opportunity to share information about our essential work in an interview.

The full article can be accessed on the Vancouver Guardian website at https://vancouverguardian.com/vancouver-charity-sa-foundation/.

We are grateful to Vancouver Guardian for allowing us to spread awareness about the HOPE we bring through our work.

Please take some time to visit their website and stay informed about what is happening in and around Vancouver.


https://vancouverguardian.com/vancouver-charity-sa-foundation/

January 1st, 2024

A New Year for SA!

What a year it has been! With your support, women, and their kids, escaping the sexual exploitation, now have a chance to live a life without fear and control and with hope.

We want to maintain transparency and express our gratitude for your support. Our fiscal year runs from April 2023 to March 2024, and during this period, we have an annual budget of $1.2 million. Our goal is to support teams starting projects globally, like those in Canada, Nepal, Italy, Budapest, Greece, Germany, and the Philippines (our latest project), and indirectly support many others.

We financially support developing and underdeveloped countries, such as Nepal and the Philippines. Additionally, we offer mentorship and consulting services and regularly assess programs in our Global Network Certified Program.

Currently, we have covered 71.3% of our budget, and we are confident that we will receive the full amount before the end of the fiscal year, all thanks to people like you. Therefore, we want to express our heartfelt gratitude and wish you a great year filled with hope and blessings. We pray that you support us and be a champion for freedom in 2024.

We want to update you on our project in the Philippines. Our team will be conducting an assessment in Baguio City in February 2024. This assessment is the next step in our process of determining the placement of leaders in our team. The assessment involves several components, including the submission of six references from mentors, peers, and trainees, a self-assessment online, and a DiSC profile online assessment. The in-person portion of the assessment involves group exercises that will be observed and assessed.

We are very excited about the year ahead and the new project. Our SAF team and the women and children we serve extend our deepest gratitude for your unwavering support. Thank you for visiting our website. You can support us financially (Donate using our Give to End Sex Trafficking Page), or following us on Instagram (@_saf.life) or Facebook (Sa Foundation). Let's end human trafficking together.