No simple answers

This October 6 article in the LA Times provides visceral glimpses of the abuse suffered by teen prostitutes in Las Vegas - a 16 year-old whose boyfriend is also her pimp, a  pregnant 13 year-old testifying against a man twice her age who lured her into "the game" from his Cadillac, a dead 17 year-old who carried condoms, a fake ID, and a bottle of vodka in her purse.

They are alternatively angry, indifferent, scared, or in love, depending on the day.

Prostitution happens a hundred different ways, from women in windows to boys in bathrooms, and avenues of recruitment are no less varied. Yet once out, sex workers across the globe frequently find it difficult, or even impossible, to stay away from their former circles. They are commonly drawn back to the same cycles of physical, emotional and psychological abuse.

If this story makes one thing clear it's that there are no simple answers; but that's not to say there's nothing to be done. The support and skills training we offer sex workers in Cambodia gives them a solid opportunity to rebuild their self-esteem, and we have seen women who were once reviled and tossed away turn their lives around to become proud members of their communities.

It's impossible to reach everyone, but at the very least we can listen.

A 17 year-old in her cell

Shasta College graduate chooses LO

By LO board member Kathryn Gessner

Lachlan Waterbury embarks upon a sustainable future

As a part of his celebration of his graduation from Shasta College and transfer to California State University, Chico, Lachlan Waterbury requested a benefit raffle for Lotus Outreach.  Lachlan is already a Lotus Outreach donor, but what made his graduation special is his own story of lifestyle-transformation and re-education for the benefit of family and planetary health.

When party hosts Chris Schiller, Bethany Schaarschmidt and I met Lachlan in 2007 he was considering a major life change.  Chris and I took a class with him called "Writing: The Environment"  for students interested in writing about the environment and leading a sustainable life.  Lachlan was fully engaged in the corporate life and its stresses at the time.  He gave that up by semester’s end and dedicated himself to his studies and a new job at the local organic grocery store, Orchard Nutrition.

We all gave presentations on our writing at the end of the course.  My presentation centered upon my work with Lotus Outreach and the importance of reaching out to developing countries as a strong component of a sustainable life.  When I asked Lachlan what inspired him to choose Lotus Outreach for a graduation raffle, he provided this response:  “What has remained with me over a few years’ time is hearing Kathryn Gessner describe one of her visits to Southeast Asia.  She recounted a story of rescuing an unprotected girl from the sexual predation of local boys."

"Although the event may have been tangential to LO’s mission on that trip, it is clear that without their presence and intervention, the girl would have been lost.  I have been on both sides of the abuse produced by packs of young, unguided boys, and have first-hand knowledge of how that kind of victimization can halt healthy development.  Added to that my newfound understanding of how this world can become more sustainable by elevating women around the globe, and my intuition that in a smaller organization the money can travel less fettered from source to destination, and Lotus Outreach becomes my obvious and easy choice.  Keep it up!”

Lachlan graduated with Honors from Shasta College with an additional Certificate of Achievement in Geographic Information Systems.  Lachlan and his wife Molly have young children at home, and he’s focused on being a great dad, too!  Even with all his extra sleep-deprivations, Lachlan excelled at student leadership and became an inspiration to us all. Graduation party hosts Bethany and Chris provided the raffle items, complete with CDs donated by the Muletown String Band.  Together, our students, faculty, family and friends in attendance raised $310 for Lotus Outreach.  Many thanks to Lachlan and his wife Molly and family for their support, and best wishes for Lachlan’s continued success in his chosen field, political science!