We have just returned from Santa Fe, New Mexico and Denver, Colorado, where we were hosted by the GoPhilanthropic Foundation at two of their "Hub" meetings where Bruce presented a talk about the scourge of child sex trafficking.
Linda DeWolf, one of the Co-founders of the foundation met us at the airport in Albuquerque, drove us to Santa Fe, housed us in her comfortable adobe house, squired us around her beautiful historic city, introduced us at the Hub meeting and then chauffeured us up to Denver for the Hub there.
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On a chilly Sunday morning, we joined the Women's March to the plaza. |
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Linda DeWolf welcoming the participants to the Santa Fe Go Philanthropic "Hub" |
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Bruce engaging the Hub in the difficult discussion about child sex trafficking. |
Our association with GoPhilanthropic began in Vietnam about seven years ago when we met Lydia Dean another Co-founder of GoPhil. She was traveling in SE Asia with her family, but also with the purpose of vetting grassroots organizations as possible partners and recipients of Go Phil's monetary support.
Since that first meeting, Journeys of the Heart and GoPhil have worked together to support two organizations in Vietnam whose focus is on education and the human rights of children.... most latterly, in the area of child sex trafficking.
Through the research for Bruce's book, Finding Lien, and the networking with NGO's in SE Asia, we have learned much about this woeful industry and have realized that there is greater hope of success in preventing trafficking through synergistic alliances with others. GoPhil promises to be a strong partner in this regard.
Please watch the video below, wherein Lydia Dean explains the GoPhil approach.
The link to GoPhil's website is:
http://gophilanthropic.org
This website is informative and easy to navigate.
The approach Go Phil takes in partnering with local, often grassroots organizations through financial assistance and strategic guidance until the agency is self-sustaining, is one that we endorse.
The Go Phil "Hubs" are groups of local supporters, sponsors, volunteers and travelers and those interested in learning more about global social issues. The "Hub" group in Denver, hosted by Amy Leonard, Go Phil Ambassador, was an eclectic gathering, which included, much to our delight, young people including a high school junior who is actively involved locally in preventing trafficking. Although our focus is SE Asia, we are all too aware that our own communities are not immune to this cruel practice.
Through the research for Bruce's book, Finding Lien, and the networking with NGO's in SE Asia, we have learned much about this woeful industry and have realized that there is greater hope of success in preventing trafficking through synergistic alliances with others. GoPhil promises to be a strong partner in this regard.
Please watch the video below, wherein Lydia Dean explains the GoPhil approach.
The link to GoPhil's website is:
http://gophilanthropic.org
This website is informative and easy to navigate.
The approach Go Phil takes in partnering with local, often grassroots organizations through financial assistance and strategic guidance until the agency is self-sustaining, is one that we endorse.
The Go Phil "Hubs" are groups of local supporters, sponsors, volunteers and travelers and those interested in learning more about global social issues. The "Hub" group in Denver, hosted by Amy Leonard, Go Phil Ambassador, was an eclectic gathering, which included, much to our delight, young people including a high school junior who is actively involved locally in preventing trafficking. Although our focus is SE Asia, we are all too aware that our own communities are not immune to this cruel practice.
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Amy Leonard, Linda DeWolf, Elaine Head, Bruce Logan |
Journeys of the Heart looks forward to building our relationship with Go Phil and other partners to combat child trafficking and its underlying causes of poverty and lack of education and awareness in developing countries.
