FAY: My Story of Hope
I grew up in a poor village in the countryside with my parents and my older brother. When I was in high school, I had to drop out before earning my diploma to help my family earn money. Then, I was trafficked into a brothel by a relative. I was only a teenager at the time. While I was working in the brothel, I was incredibly depressed, alone and without any hope. I was not sure if I would survive working there much longer. One day, Starfish Project outreach teams met me in the brothels and offered me a way out through their company.
I started working in jewelry production at Starfish Project and worked my way up quickly. Eventually, I started managing the Finished Product Room and started selling Starfish Project jewelry at events and bazaars in our headquarters city. During this time, I also went through Starfish Project’s vocational training program. I took English and computer classes, and received professional certifications in Microsoft Word and Excel. Once I completed the computer training program, Starfish Project supported my accounting training at a local school. I studied really hard, passed my accounting certification test, and am now working as the Accounting Assistant at Starfish Project. It meant a lot to have the Starfish Project staff recognize my potential. I love learning new skills. I am so grateful for the new opportunities studying accounting has provided.