Tag Archives: NightLight Bangkok
Shadow of Hope
The shadows beneath the stairs provided a temporary reprieve from the demands of the street. *Ola blended into the darkness, but I spotted her and paused to greet her and ask her nationality. Caught off guard she admitted she came from Uganda, like so many others we meet on the streets. I knelt down to catch her […]
Staying Alive
Death’s shadow loomed over Yana, sucking the life from her emaciated body. We had been acquainted with Yana, a tall blond Central Asian, for a couple years, and we were increasingly concerned, but Yana mostly kept to herself. One night on a routine visit, Lionel, the manager of the brothel, pulled us aside to ask […]
Are You the Ones Who Help the African Ladies?
Eden’s baby was still nursing when she was left behind in Africa. As a single mother, it was not Eden’s plan to leave her baby behind, but not much was going her way. The breaking point came when Eden’s father died unexpectedly. Her stepmother sold their home and took off with all of the inheritance. […]
Will Evil Triumph?
Evil is the only word to describe what I have heard. I have seen and heard a lot and I’m not easily shocked anymore. When women tell me their traumatic experiences, I have learned to not gasp in horror and to respond without giving in to the tears. Later though, when the moment has passed, […]
Red Light Redemption
Bangkok had very few Christmas decorations when Jeff and I first arrived twenty years ago. A department store was decorated with tinsel and played carols for shoppers and a hotel had a display of reindeer and a sleigh out front. The bars caught on quickly and bar girls wore Santa caps to entice their international […]
Reunited
“Asha” couldn’t hold back the tears as she struggled to speak to us. The deep emotions of her heart rose up and smothered her words. Asha cried silently while her friends sat in closer to hug and encourage her. My colleagues and I had gone to Africa to visit the trafficked women we have repatriated […]
Christmas in the Brothel
“It’s like my home.” The blond Uzbek woman had tears in her eyes as she thanked us. NightLight’s outreach team and visitors from Iris had just sung Christmas carols inside the brothel where these women from Uzbekistan, Russia, and one from Columbia are working. 21 of us gathered in the lobby and, accompanied by guitar […]
Orphans on Thai Father’s Day
Two orphaned Ugandan children came to play at my house today for Father’s Day. December 5th is the birthday of the revered King of Thailand and also celebrated as Father’s Day. The father of these Ugandan children left Bangkok two years ago and hasn’t seen his children since. Four weeks ago, their mother died suddenly […]
Annie Dieselberg 