Thanks to all who rode, donated, and supported our ride yesterday from Des Moines to Lake Okoboji, to raise money to help stop human trafficking. We raised over $30,000 and donations are still coming in.
About
okoboji200.org - The Okoboji 200 is a one day, 200 mile bike ride from West Des Moines, IA to Okoboji, IA to help restore victims of human trafficking.
We ride so they can be free.
In Nepal
The problem is great and it requires a great response.
“Thousands of Nepali minors are forced to sleep with more than fifty men per day; they are locked into rooms or cages where they are beaten, starved, drugged, burned and raped by their captors and countless men who use and abuse them. The average age of a Nepali girl trafficked to India is 13 years old. A mere 1% of these sex slaves ever
escape or get rescued” (Untouchable: Children of God, http://coderedfilms.com/untouchable/).
The Okoboji 200 is an epic, one day 200 mile bike ride from West Des Moines, IA to Okoboji, IA. The ride raises funds and awareness to help restore victims of human trafficking by donating proceeds to the Lighthouse Foundation in Nepal.
Our 2013 Okoboji 200 ride donated $10,000 to the Lighthouse Foundation to build a “safe house” for former human traffic victims and other untouchables. Our efforts helped Lighthouse Foundation continue a larger effort in Nepal.
“We have 10 hostels including Miriam Child Care Centre and Half Way House (Rescue home for adult woman). All the hostels are situated in Kathmandu city, excluding Surkhet Hostel where 28 students are accommodated. Presently, there are 558 children under the supervision of 54 dedicated staffs working throughout the hostels” (Pastor Raju, Lighthouse Foundation).
These hostels give their children: shelter, nourishment, medical care, education, Christian teaching, and a sense of purpose and importance. Lighthouse takes a big picture approach to breaking the cycle of trafficking and breaking the chains of a cast based society.
In Indonesia
Over the past two years, Okoboji 200 also donated over $6,000 to completely fund a film project, Don’t Get in The Van. This film is being used throughout Indonesia to help educate children on the dangers of being offered a “Job” to help their starving family. Evil men continue to enslave children by preying upon their innocent desire to help. Our efforts are through this film are raising awareness and helping to prevent kidnapping.