Welcome to She Thailand
Started in 2006, SHE (Self Help and Empowerment) is a Christian charity committed to helping women and children at risk in Thailand, many of whom are trapped in the commercial sex trade. SHE is dedicated to providing employment, vocational training and counseling for women who want to help themselves out of this industry. All proceeds go directly to helping them find employment, community, friendship, restoration, and above all restoration of their own value.
Mark, Sharon, and visiting teams spend most nights building relationships with women working in the hundreds of bars in Phuket, Thailand. Once a relationship is established after a few visits, Mark & Sharon share the vision of SHE with the women and let them know that there is a way out: they can have a salaried job making jewelry with SHE if they are interested. The only condition of employment is that they must quit their job at the bar completely.
For more information, visit our Facebook group.
Recent News
We have been busy recently helping Add set up her new food business and it opened for business today. Add has enlisted the help of another lady from her community, Fon, to help and it has great to see them plan how it is all going to work and have a fresh hope for the future.
The jewellery programme goes well and we were joined by another girl today bringing the total to ten girls.
Jewelry Making Programme
This programme was started to help the many girls who work in the bars and clubs giving alternative employment and retraining. Girls such as these are trapped by poverty and have no alternative but to take to the streets at night.
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The Biddells
Mark and Sharon Biddell are the founders of SHE. They and their four children, ranging from the ages of 5-15 (Jake, Luke, Joshua, and Sophie), moved from the UK to Phuket, Thailand October of 2006. They have worked in full-time missions now for over 7 years. For most of that time they have been based in Newcastle working with Africa Mercy but have spent time in Africa on field assignments and in the USA completing training. Their sending church is Lymington Baptist church where they both came to know the Lord.
Mark’s background is construction management in the UK and enjoys nothing more than being on a project site, anywhere! The children keep him busy; at times he says its like “herding cats.” He’s confident that he could open a workshop dedicated to fixing stuff for the children.
As well as being a busy mother of four energetic children, Sharon enjoys teaching herself and the children Thai and is looking forward to attending language school. She enjoys a challenge, meeting new people, and experiencing new cultures but is not looking forward [UPDATE: to big spiders, cockroaches and snakes!]
For more news and updates on the Biddell family, please visit http://www.biddellnews.co.uk.
Quotes...
I love Mark and Sharon so much because they change my life, and I do not
want to leave them. I want to stay with them forever. I am happy to make
jewelry with SHE. And I happy to see so many team come here. That be family.
-- Glon, 25
I use believe in Buddha, but now I believe in God. He showed me his power and
helped me change my life.
"[Working in the bar] was hard with my soul, because we have to go with the customer. I am feeling bad, because sometimes we want money and have to go with customer, and that is hard. But when we here at SHE we have salary. No money in the bar if I no go with customer - I have no money. Here not a lot of salary but on my soul it feel good. Here- [putting hand over her heart] feel better.
"When working at the bar sometimes sad because we have no customer and we sad-
no money no nothing, no friends. I had lot of friend, but not good heart. You can
find many friend but no good friend. SHE make me have lot of best friend. Good heart.
-- Wan, 24
I do not like working at the bar. Many, many men, I don't like that. Sharon and Mark
go talk about making jewelry and ask me if I want to work with them. First, I say I
have to think about jewelry. I work more and more at bar. I be tired. I want to stop.
The bar no good. I left bar for one month, have no job no money. Then I think I have
Sharon. I call Sharon and tell her I want to work with her. Then I come to work at SHE.
"Yes, I like to work here, many friends here. I love Sharon and Mark. I do not want
to go away. I love here, I want to work here.
-- Kae
