Mother’s Day

Mother’s Day is coming up quickly here in the US.  It’s become common practice to acknowledge that this day can stir a variety of emotions in people – from gratitude to grief, from joy to longing, from anger to sadness, and all or none of it and everything in between.  As we grow older, we learn to view our parents through adult eyes – recognizing they are flawed humans with their own baggage and struggles.  And ideally we are able to have healthy, quality relationships with them.

Motherhood is difficult regardless of where you live.  Of course, the challenges may look different – the pressures to keep up Pinterest-worthy activities for your child is very different than sorting through potential partners for your child for a future arranged marriage.  But no matter what country you live in, the effects of poverty on mothers can feel overwhelming.

Can I provide a safe home for my kids?

They grew out of their clothes again!  How am I going to afford new shoes right now?

We don’t have the resources to send her to school right now – we either need her to work so we have enough to eat or have her watch her siblings so I can go to work.

All of my kids are sick but we only have enough money for medication for one.  Which one do I choose?

I have cousins in the city who say they can care for the eldest.  I’m not sure it’s safe, but what other choice do I have?

What am I going to do?

It isn’t uncommon for us to hear that women who have been previously exploited and trafficked turn towards survival sex because they don’t know how else to make quick money for their families.  And heartbreakingly, it’s also not uncommon for mothers to introduce their daughters into the sex industry for the sake of the family.

We are in no way excusing the trafficking of children (yes, mothers can be traffickers).  We are acknowledging the reality that mothers around the world find themselves in – a reality in which they do not see other options.

One of the things FTG is most proud of is that this is the 7th year in which every single child of a woman in our program is enrolled in a safe school.  The school fees and requirements are paid for by the mothers, either wholly or subsidized by you and your donations.  We can speak of daughters and sons of graduates enrolled in university, the first in their family to attend.  We can show you children who are growing up in homes owned by their mothers, no longer vulnerable to predatory landlords.  We can point out kids who have a very different relationship with their mothers than they had four years ago.  We can also talk about a unique situation in Costa Rica in which a mother and her daughter are both working through FTG’s economic empowerment program – a far cry from when they were both in prostitution.

When you partner with FTG, you are helping women – mothers, grandmothers, future mothers, and daughters.  And we know that when women are empowered, they lift their entire community up. 

We would love for you to consider joining the Seed Collective this month, spending your well-earned dollars on being a monthly donor committed to walking with these women as they create generational change for their children, grandchildren, and future great-grandchildren - creating spaces where the whole family is flourishing within their community, unafraid and confident.  Join today – in honor of your own mother, your own motherhood, or a woman in your life who has stood in as your mother.  We will send her a special e-card along with a video message from one of our staff, welcoming her to the Seed Collective in which she will receive our exclusive monthly newsletters.

We have 3 designs you can choose from for your mom!

We’d love for you (and your mother figure!) to be a part of our collective in supporting mothers all around the world.