During Presidents Week, RHS principal Ashley Serin travelled to Thailand with Free Rain International, a humanitarian aid organization. The goal of the trip was to help Thai people that are victims of sex trafficking and sex work. The trip lasted ten days and was centered in Pattaya, Thailand, one of the largest hubs of human trafficking in the world.
“I had known about the organization of course and my heart, just when I knew there was an opportunity for us to be able to go and actually make a difference and help support these women in this way, I couldn’t say no. It was one of those things where my heart just pulled me towards that, just knowing that we can go over there and make a difference even for just one person is a hundred percent worth it. So I knew when there was an opportunity that I had to go on this trip,” Serin said.
During the days, Serin and her group would set up performances on busy streets to spread messages of hope and love to those in need. When those seeking help are found, they are enrolled in a beauty school to learn English and help set the victims on a new path.
“It was really heartbreaking, it was really hard. But we know that where two or more are gathered, there the spirit is, so let’s just sing out the spirit of hope and peace and joy into some of the darkest places we’ve ever been. They have a beauty school there, so what they do is they rescue women out of the brothels and then they are able to get room boarding and safety and all of that. At the school, they learn English and it’s a beauty school, so they learn hair and barber and all of that stuff. So I was able to help teach them English and work with them on their English skills in the mornings, which was great, and I let them practice on my hair, which was also fantastic for them to learn their skills and practice on a real person,” Serin said.
Serin hopes to continue working with Free Rain International and plans to help many more people in the future.
“Sometimes you just find that thing in your life that is where your passion is and where your heart is, and I’ve always had a heart for victims and survivors of human trafficking, but I’ve never really found where that place is where I can come and actually help make a difference. So this was almost like all of the puzzle pieces falling into place. My plan and my hope would be to continue to go every year for this week of outreach that we do, and I’m trying to figure out what can I do while I’m here while I’m stateside, like what else can I do in the meantime. But I’m definitely working with the teams that are going to be going for the future years that we do the trip,” Serin said.
