Let’s Get Serious

December 13, 2012
by Rodney Olsen
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(This post was written while on the way to Bangladesh but has only just been posted due to there being no easy access to Internet where I travelled in Bangladesh.)

It’s truly hard to believe that yesterday morning I was in Perth. It seems like so much time has past.

I only had little over a day and a half in Kuala Lumpur but it seemed like quite a holiday. Together with Kieran, I saw some amazing sights, including the very impressive Petronas Towers, lots and lots of shops and much more.

We were treated to a rather incredible lunch by Renee. It was a dim sum Chinese meal which included a variety of delicious treats. I can now officially say that I have tried chicken’s feet. Not only did I try them, I very much enjoyed them.

Let’s get serious

With our very short stay in Kuala Lumpur at an end it was time to head to the airport to fly out to Bangladesh. We’re getting closer to seeing the Girls off the Streets project.

With the city choked by traffic, the company arranging our transfer to the airport had to enlist another driver. The original couldn’t make it through the traffic and the stand only just made it. After battling the roads he got to us around half an hour late the proceeded to head to the airport at lightning speed. Well maybe not lightning but 120 in an 80 zone sort of qualifies.

Our driver need not have bothered. After boarding our flight we waited … and waited. Eventually we were told we had to leave the plane to board another. Inconvenient but better than them finding a fault with the aircraft after taking off.

Two hours later we boarded another plane and took off. I’m writing this post almost 12000 metres above the earth as we travel at over 900 kilometres an hour.

What’s ahead of us?

I’ve explained before why I’m heading to Bangladesh and then onto India. I want to see how SIMaid is working to bring hope and healing to girls who have been rescued from forced exploitation and prostitution.

I don’t really know what’s waiting for us but I’m sure it’ll be confronting and I’m hoping it’ll break my heart. I want to feel some of the pain behind the stories of the girls who have been trafficked so that I’m even more motivated to speak out on their behalf.

Once I’ve heard some of this stories I want to share them and I hope they’ll break your heart too so that you join with me and many others to bring freedom and hope to girls who have been forced into the most degrading lives imaginable. Together it is possible to do something.



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Objects on Calendar …

November 19, 2012
by Rodney Olsen
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… are Closer than they Appear

It’s the busy end of the year and appointments are rushing towards us faster than a speeding bullet. The busyness continues to ramp up and those dates that once seemed like forever away are now knocking on our door.

As I’ve mentioned before in my post Girls off the Streets, I’m getting ready to head to Bangladesh and India to see the work that SIMaid is doing to rehabilitate girls who have been rescued from forced prostitution.

I can’t believe that our departure is just three weeks away. Three weeks from now I’ll be in the air heading for Malaysia on the way to Bangladesh and India.

If you want to hear a few more details on the trip just click the play button on the audio player below. You’ll hear me chatting with Kieran Johnson of SIMaid who’ll be joining me on the trip.

[audio:http://mpegmedia.sonshinefm.ws/feeds/MOR191112_1038.mp3]

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More about Girls off the Streets

November 13, 2012
by Rodney Olsen
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As I’ve mentioned before in my post Girls off the Streets, I’m getting ready to head to Bangladesh and India to see the work that SIMaid is doing to rehabilitate girls who have been rescued from forced prostitution.

Please take five minutes to watch this video where the project is explained and I talk about my reasons for being part of the trip.



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How can you help Girls off the Streets?

October 25, 2012
by Rodney Olsen
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I wrote recently about my involvement with Girls Off the Streets. As I said then, I’ll be traveling to Bangladesh and India to see the work SIMaid does to stop trafficking and sex slavery while transforming the lives of young girls rescued. My role will be as a storyteller, communicating the need online, on radio and to churches back here in Australia.

If you want to find out more about how to help the millions of girls, many quite young, who are raped each day to make money for others, there are a couple of events you can attend.

Firstly, you can be at Thornlie Church of Christ in Spencer Road at 6:30 this Sunday evening when, together with SIMaid Education and Development Officer Kieran Johnson, I’ll be talking about our upcoming trip.

The other event is on Saturday evening the 10th of November where you can hear Omar Djoeandy, SIM Australia Executive Director, and catch up with Kieran and me. That evening begins at 7:00 at St Matthew’s Anglican Church in Shenton Park. Details are in the poster above. Click on the image for a closer look.



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Girls off the Streets

September 26, 2012
by Rodney Olsen
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No funny, quirky post today but I’m hoping that you’ll give me a few minutes so that I can tell you about a huge issue.

Every day millions of girls, many quite young, are raped to make money for others. They’ve been kidnapped and forced into sex slavery.

Human trafficking enslaves about 27 million people around the world. That is more than the population of Australia. Of these modern day slaves the UN estimates 79% of them are caught up in sexual trafficking. According to “Save the Children” at any one time across the world, around 1.8 million children are being abused through prostitution, child pornography and sex tourism. In the UK there are 5,000 child prostitutes. 75% of them are girls.

In December I’ll be traveling to Bangladesh and India to learn more about the Girls Off the Streets initiative through SIMaid. I talked about the upcoming trip on my radio program with SIMaid representative, Kieran Johnson. You can listen to our chat by clicking the play button on the audio plaer at the bottom of this post.

In Bangladesh there are approximately 500 000 children living on the streets due to poverty or abuse. Many girls who live on the streets are sexually exploited.

The Indian Government states there are 2.8 million people prostituted in India, but human rights groups claim it is more like 15 million. 200 girls are entering into the sex trade every day with 80% of them doing so against their own free will.

I’ll be traveling to both countries with SIMaid to witness the work they do to stop trafficking and sex slavery while transforming the lives of young girls rescued. My role will be as a storyteller, communicating the need online, on radio and to churches back here in Australia.

I currently need to raise money for my travel costs (around $3000) and if you’d like to contribute please email me via my Contact Page so that I can let you know where to direct your money.



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