Reaksa’s* Story

Rescued from desperate life situations where she used to do everything she could to help her parents get out of debt, Reaksa came to us from one of CGI’s partner ministries. Her homeImprintSewingCrop village is three hours away from the city and she dreamed of being a clothing seamstress. Sadly, she could not make enough money to help pay off the debt and to go to a sewing school. Because of generous partners like you, CGI was able to accept her into the Imprint Project, a program focused on developing students holistically while also teaching sewing skills. She was excited when she knew that her dream would come true. When she started she did not know anything about sewing but after being in our program for 10 months, she now can design and sew clothes with confidence. She also helps other students when they have questions about sewing. She likes to help other students and is very friendly.

Furthermore, she loves to be part of the Life Skills Class. “Now I know about being a good person, wife, and parent. I understand about emotional health and stress [management],” said Reaksa.

Her other favorite part of the Imprint Project is the devotion time each morning. She likes to share with her friends about what God has done in her life. “The daily devotion helps me to be closer to God.”

Reaksa has also improved in her general education since she started at grade level four and has now progressed to the next level.

She plans to work at CGI’s byTavi workshop when she graduates from the Imprint Project in July. She also hopes to have her own sewing machine so that she can continue using her sewing skills at home in the evenings and weekends to earn extra income.

*name has been changed

 

More than Vocational Training

Being a sponsor of a student in CGI’s Culinary Training Center or Imprint Project is more than just training an at-risk young woman with a marketable skill. CGI desires to invest holistically in each student, meeting them where they are academically, emotionally, and spiritually.
Below you can have a glimpse into the students’ curriculum. Please pray that they will continue to learn and come to know Christ as their Savior.
Life Skills & Spiritual Formation
  • Nutrition, exercise & sanitation143Cambodia 2015
  • Emotional health & stress management
  • Proper health care & disease prevention
  • Family & child development
  • Motivation, positive behavior & team work
  • Healthy relationship & conflict resolution
  • Qualities of a good leader
  • Jesus’ character & healings
  • Creation
Math, Khmer and English
  • Reading & writing stories
  • Division & multiplication
  • Fractions & decimals
  • Time, measurements & weights
  • Written & telephone communication
  • English tenses & questions
  • English songs like “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”
Vocational Training – Imprint Project:
  • Traditional Khmer clothing
  • Formal wear
  • Sewing BYTAVI designs
Vocational Training – Culinary Training Center:
  • Bakery items
  • Meats & soups
  • Smoothies & coffee
  • Taking orders in English
  • Computer skills

We praise God everyday for our current sponsors! Thank you for giving sacrificially so that these young women may have brighter futures.

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If you are interested in learning more about these programs or sponsoring a student, please email kimberly@centerforglobalimpact.org.

Ready to help donate and help make an impact? Click here to donate or set up a recurring donation!

Paving the way for The Imprint Project in 2015

Since CGI first began in 2008, our byTavi project has been at the core of our ministry’s mission. It’s one tangible way we’re able to empower the poor, protect the vulnerable and share the Gospel with at-risk women in Cambodia.

It is because of people like you who have supported byTavi through volunteer efforts and/or product purchase that over 40 women along with their children & families have been kept safe and experienced hope. The byTavi project continues to grow, allowing us to reach new Cambodians every year!

It is because of the unwavering dedication and support of our byTavi network that we come to you with our greatest need for 2015: your sponsorship of the Imprint Project.

11052502_956662127697832_7309372606120734359_oThe Imprint Project is a reintegration program for previously trafficked and at-risk girls. Our goal is to create opportunities through the skill of sewing, giving them employment options other than returning to the sex trade. The Imprint Project staffs social workers and Bible teachers to help the young women heal from a past of violence and slavery so they may see the light of Jesus. It is a holistic approach to changing these young women’s future and hearts. The Imprint Project is younger than byTavi, and we want to see the same success and hope spring from this project as we see from byTavi each year. Our first class of Imprint students just graduated in March, and we’re poised to welcome our second class, beginning in July.

Previous students of this program are now byTavi seamstresses that make the products you have seen or even purchased.

We want to invite you in on the ground level. We have 12 students available to sponsor at $250 per girl for 18
months. This is a total cost of $54,000. This sponsorship will go towards:

  • Individually focused social workers and counselors
  • Student stipends for basic living needs and family support
  • Seamstress instructors, teaching facilities and sewing materials

Will you consider becoming a monthly sponsor or making a financial gift by April 30th to fund these 12 students?

We know if anyone can help us reach this goal, it’s our faithful network of byTavi supporters! A gift of any amount is appreciated. Please send us an email at contact@centerforglobalimpact.org!

Pchum Ben

One of the annual Buddhist traditions in Cambodia is called Pchum Ben, or “Ancestor’s Day.” As Cambodia prepares to enter into Pchum Ben, we would like to ask that you cover this time in prayer in the coming days.

Pchum Ben is thought to be a period when the ghosts of deceased ancestors are in close proximity with the Cambodian people. This highly spiritual festival is filled with intensity, as the living offer food offerings for deceased relatives at the temples. Tradition states that the gates of hell are opened during these days and spirits come forth to receive the food before returning to their suffering. It’s also believed that relatives who are in purgatory or reincarnated can receive food offerings as well. These days are spiritually heavy and often center around the exchange of karma, and our hope is that the truth of Jesus can outshine this darkness and weight.

Would you join us in the coming week and pray for protection of the girls in our CGI programs? The Imprint students are currently learning about the life of Jesus in their Bible studies, and the contrast of this message with what they will see in Cambodia during this time is sure to be stark. Many will face pressure from family member to make food offerings at the temples. Please pray that the girls in our programs, our staff in Cambodia and everyone in the country would feel the presence of a God who is sovereign over life and death.

Courtesy of Wallpho.com

Courtesy of Wallpho.com

Impact Gala

The invitations are out for this year’s Impact Gala and we couldn’t be more excited! (If you didn’t receive an invitation in your inbox, click here to be included on CGI’s email distribution list and don’t worry–you can always register via our website as well!)

This year’s theme is “A Tale of Two Kingdoms,” which represents the Kingdom of God breaking into the Kingdom of Cambodia. Each year we are seeing more and more evidence of this, as many of the women in our programs are hearing the Gospel and choosing to follow Jesus. It’s our joy to be able to share his hope in Cambodia, and also provide the tools and training needed to create a better life for them and their families. But to do this, we need your help. The gala is a GREAT event that not only brings together the people that share a heart for our mission, but also raises needed funds that allow us to continue and improve our programs.

We’re seeing young girls coming out of dangerous situations that have learned to sew and support themselves in the Imprint Project. Lunch is being provided now at the byTavi workshop. School uniforms are being made for the children in our Kien Svay Kids program, and the kids are showing improvement in their studies. A second restaurant has opened up in Battambang. Leadership training and retreats are being offered for our Cambodian staff. We are SO encouraged and we hope you are, too! And yet, there’s always more we dream of doing.

We hope you’ll attend this year’s gala on September 6th. The evening will be filled with inspiring stories, interactive experiences, great food, music, friendship and encouragement. We’d love for you to come and extend the invitation to others as well. See you there!

Register Now

GALA

Faith and Fashion

Nicole speaking at Ladies' Luncheon.

Nicole speaking at Ladies’ Luncheon.

When CGI’s designer Nicole Krajewski poured her heart out for the women in Cambodia at NACC’s Ladies Luncheon, there was not a dry eye in the house.

Let me say, I have been to Cambodia, experienced the stories, and she had me moved to tears. The work that she and CGI are doing in Cambodia is truly changing lives, both in Cambodia, and here in the U.S.
After Nicole shared her heart and the heart of CGI, the fun began. Before we knew it, Kristen Baynai had the whole crowd laughing as she introduced and described each of the 38 models donning the Imprint Collection, designed by Nicole, and sewn by the byTavi and Imprint women in Cambodia. These women were truly brave to strut their stuff in front of 1000 strangers! And, oh my, did they look amazing!

 

There’s no doubt that it was God’s divine hand that brought all these details together, to display the darkness present in Cambodia, and then the hope that Jesus has to offer. This hour and a half program raised over $15,000 for the women in Cambodia, which is generally the amount raised monthly.

CGI’s beautiful models!

We cannot express how blessed we are by Martha Brammer’s coordination of this event, and the whole North American Christian Convention staff. We would love the opportunity to host an event like this for your women’s ministry. Contact us at byTavi@centerforglobalimpact.org.

By Whitney Vance

Progress at the Imprint Project

As most of you know, the Imprint Project is CGI’s newest program that began in December. The program consists of girls rescued from sexual slavery, as a collaborative effort between CGI and Destiny Rescue. They learn how to sew (you can find their products on the byTavi site under “Imprint Collection”) and receive spiritual mentoring, along with practical life skills and general education to prepare them for success apart from the sex trade. Now three months into the program, we are excited about the progress we’re seeing with each of these girls and wanted to share it with you!

Last week, the students learned how to make Cambodian formal wear and practiced beading. They each designed their own bead work and did such a great job applying what they’ve been learning and using their own creativity. Join us in praising God for the initiative they are taking to learn, grow and change.

It’s a small but very important step forward.

           bead work 3bead work 2

Here Comes the Sun…

dressFINALLY! At byTavi we are so ready to be DONE with the snow and sub-zero temps! We want to frolic in the sun in the new Imprint Collection, hand-made by at-risk women and survivors of trafficking. Whether you are going on a casual walk on the canal, a date with your significant other or a night out with the girls, Imprint is ready to dress you for any occasion. Check out our adorable new sundresses and zipper dress–you’re going to love them.

Stay tuned to byTavi in the coming months as the women in our program have been hard at work on a new line of bags! These include a casual, modern hobo bag and a patch-work rice bag mini duffle. You won’t want to miss these new items or our Spring Cleaning Sales!

Thanks again for supporting the women of byTavi and the Imprint Project. Your purchases truly do change the direction of these women’s lives.

Imprint Project Kicks Off!

Learning to sew on first day of Imprint Project

Learning to sew on first day of Imprint Project

This week kicks off the Imprint Project! We are so excited about this new program, for so many reasons.

The Imprint Project is new, but the concept is based off one of CGI’s original programs called CGI Daughters. In this program, formerly-trafficked and at-risk girls in Cambodia learned sewing skills and practical life skills while living in a type of “safe house.”

The Imprint Project is a bit different. We wanted a more holistic approach, one that includes contact with the families of each participant. One of the biggest challenges to overcoming the pull toward the sex industry is making sure young girls aren’t feeling pressure from their families to earn quick money. The Imprint Project will allow more involvement in the day-to-day circumstances of participants’ families by employing social workers to check in. This will build trust between CGI and the families of each girl in our program, giving them greater support and chances for success. All of the girls in the current—and very first—class of the Imprint Project are formerly trafficked.

A lot of hard work has gone into developing the curriculum. Like CGI Daughters, the Imprint Project will teach sewing skills and the girls will produce the Imprint Collection, which is a clothing line you can purchase through byTavi.com. The program is also intensely mentor-based, with focus on spiritual formation and practical life skills. We believe that hope and freedom come not just from vocational skills, but by knowing how to make good choices in life and ultimately, by knowing Jesus.

Please pray with us for the Imprint Project and this first group of girls who are part of it. May God continue to give opportunities to reach into the hearts and lives of those with a dark past.

By Caroline Mosey

Great Potential Partnership!

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This week Alan (Beringer) and I met with Mark Kelly and Kimbra Smith of Destiny Rescue.  Destiny Rescue does some direct interventions in Karaoke Bars to “rescue” girls and then provides a safe house situation.  Their current facility is actually only a couple of miles from where the cgiDaughters house was formerly located.

Currently they are caring for close to a hundred formerly trafficked girls.  As is common to nearly all safe house based ministries they excel in the area of care but struggle in the area of reintegration.  Their interest in CGI is to see if there might be a possibility to partner.  The meeting was very productive and I feel that the possibilities are pretty strong that we will come to an agreement in the next week or so.  If that happens we will sign an MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) that will identify specific roles and responsibilities.  Basically the MOU will say that they will be responsible for the residential side of the program and we will be responsible for the vocational training, spiritual formation and life skills components.

It is likely that eight girls from Destiny Rescue will enter the Imprint Project on December 1st.  The program will be for 12 months.  At the end of 12 months the girls who have successfully completed the course will be offered the opportunity to contract with byTavi as a seamstress or move out on their own.

Thanks for being a part of CGI. You ARE making a difference.

Until ALL have heard,

Chris