LIFT Life Fund

In July 2019, LIFT’s Aftercare team implemented the LIFT Life Fund to empower survivors in pursuing a successful future. We identified that for some survivors who were repatriated to certain rural provinces, there are no Government or NGO support services available to them. Therefore we established the LIFT Life fund to help people in that situation get back on their feet. The LIFT Life Fund offers survivors the opportunity to continue their education or take part in skill-based trainings of their choice.

In Q3 of 2019, LIFT awarded five survivors a LIFT Life Fund Scholarship. The fourth recipient used the funding to train at a vocational school for motorcycle repair. This is the third female survivor who has chosen this vocation, an unusual choice for women in Thailand. The girls saw a need in their communities for this service and plan to return home with new, resourceful skills.

The LIFT Life Fund will also help combat the cycle of poverty, human trafficking, and exploitation by having an emergency fund available in the event of an immediate need. A survivor in our Aftercare program needed emergency funding in order to secure safe housing for herself and her young children. LIFT was happy to be able to have a system in place to support her.

As the LIFT Life Fund grows and develops, LIFT aims to continually evaluate both successes and needs in order to provide the best care, and to provide the most relevant support necessary to ensure success. One survivor with HIV needed medical funding for not only doctor bills, but also transportation costs to/from hospital, as well as for proper nutrition. The Aftercare team discussed that physical health is a basic human right, and necessary for a successful future, thereby granting her support to assist her with healthcare needs.

Less than USD 100 per month for up to 6 months will provide education, vocational training, emergency funding, or healthcare for survivors to start a new life after sexual abuse and exploitation.