Jackie was born into a broken family. She is the second child of seven children, all having different fathers. None of them grew up knowing who their father was. You may ask why this is so. Jackie's mother worked as a freelancer on the streets having no family to help her and only reaching the first grade. She always thought that their mother worked as a gold and silver buyer and seller. Every night, she would see her mom leave the house all made up to go to work and would come home early the next morning with some money in her hand. Little did she know that her mom was actually meeting a handful of customers every night. She did not know about this at first but discovered this when she was just a young child. This was the beginning of their exposure to trafficking. As she grew older, she thought that working as a freelancer in the streets was a normal thing.

 

This mindset ignited an aspiration for Jackie to lead the same kind of life as well.

 

At fifteen, Jackie wrote a letter to an organization that helps give opportunities to women in the streets, for them to help her and her family. She seemed too young to be aware of what was going on with her mother, and she clearly wanted help. The program helps women and families through scholarships and livelihood trainings, Jackie was eventually accepted. 

When she turned 19, she had a boyfriend and got pregnant. She became rebellious and didn't respect her elders and leaders in the non-profit that was helping her. At the age of 25, she had another child and lived with a new partner in one house together with his partner's relatives. It was the most chaotic environment so she turned to friends and going out every night, leaving her kids at home. The non-profit helped her and they were able to encourage her to go to school again and finish college. They referred her to Wipe Every Tear when she was ready  and they accepted her.

Jackie is very creative and skillful. She joined Tayo as a jewelry maker and a sewer. She was able to train other women to use the sewing machines and taught them basic sewing.

She finished her degree in Psychology and is now working as a full time office employee. She is now married and have two kids.

 

 

Jackie, along with a number of other women, has come from dark places but now holds fast onto her hope in Jesus to step into the destiny God has laid out for her. 

We celebrate her victory and her new journey!