Saving women/children from the global sex trade...this is what my friends' organization is all about. A few weeks ago I contacted my good friend Chris Kanemura in Hawaii who just recently started up a non-profit organization called Made in Hope with a friend here in the Philippines, Michelle Tolentino. It serves to empower women who have been rescued from the global sex trade/human trafficking and prostitution, by providing education, skills training, and faith strengthening so that they can be transformed and have a sustainable livelihood. The organization that does all of this in the Philippines is called Samaritana, whom they partner with. Samaritana is an established organization in the Philippines, which is has been helping woman out of prostitution for over 20 years now.
What's in your hand?...My pastor, Nolan Galido, had been saying this recently to encourage us that we already have what we need to be used by God to serve others. I called Chris really wanting to help out somehow, but I wasn't sure what I could do for them. It turns out Made in Hope and Samaritana needed a video to help bring awareness to their transforming ministries. Of course, I am far from being a professional videographer, I am a hobbyist like the thousands of others out there, but in my hand was a decent camera and some editing software. I felt that this was a way I could bless them and at the same time hone my skills. Lynnette, whose hobby is make-up, also had a chance to bless the women by doing the make-up for all those being interviewed for the video. That was in her hands.
Powerful stories of changed lives...were shared by different women as we filmed yesterday. Lynnette and I went out to Samaritana from 8:30am - 400pm, we interviewed amazing women who have stepped out of prostitution, loving staff workers and the dedicated directors, Jonathan and Thelma Nambu, who run the organization. We were so blessed to be able to record their stories, and of course to simply spend the day with them. The women were so excited to have Lynnette do mini makeovers on them, and asked her to come back in November to do a make-up workshop for all of them.
Award winning documentary?...probably not. But, I'll be creating a few videos (a short teaser, a med 3-5 minute promo and a longer 10-15 minute video) from all this footage. For now I'm mainly focusing on a 3-5 minute promo for Samaritana's anniversary in November, and a video for Made in Hope to promote their cause. I'll admit, that this process is scary, since I haven't done anything this involved before, but I hope that they can use it as tool to bring awareness and inspire others to support their organization as they literally transform lives from the inside out. I'll post the video as soon as it has been completed.
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