Answering NightCare’s Toughest Questions
Written by: McKenzie Thompson, Communications and Logistics Coordinator
NightCare is a novel and unique program that can be difficult for some people to grasp. We get several questions on the program as well-meaning people work to understand why it is needed. The two questions that we get the most are:
Why do you only help the babies and not their mothers?
By caring for the babies while their mothers work, are you supporting sex work?
First, allow me to paint you a picture of the harsh realities for babies and toddlers of sex workers.
Babies and toddlers are vulnerable to whatever circumstances surround them, primarily because they’re too young to care for themselves. However, the babies and toddlers of sex workers are part of a world that no one should ever experience. They live in a world of constant fear, exploitation, mental and physical abuse, neglect, and more. At the young age of 5 and under, these little ones have one of three choices for survival:
- Go to work with their mothers – whether that is in a brothel or on the streets.
- Stay at home alone all night – free to roam the streets, be kidnapped, or hurt themselves.
- Stay with a family member or neighbor – which often leads to neglect, abuse, or trafficking.
There is no good option for these babies and toddlers. There is no lesser of two evils.
They live in a perpetual state of worry, fear, trauma, and uncertainty. Even worse, they have no choice. They are trapped. By providing NightCare, we give these babies and toddlers a place to stay at night, so they aren’t exposed to the sex industry and later become a part of it. According to a study conducted by ECPAT called “The Sexual Exploitation of Children in Southeast Asia,” 20% of victims of sexual exploitation around the world are children. We hope that NightCare can help end the cycle for these precious babies before it’s too late.
When our founder, Sarah, went on a trip to Cambodia several years back, she stumbled upon three babies sleeping on the sidewalk, amidst the city’s hustle and bustle, with no guardian in sight. She also met a three-year-old girl who was forced by her mother to sell condoms.
As Sarah became more familiar with sex work in the developing world, she realized that these situations are prevalent. She also learned that while many organizations were doing great work within the sex industry, they only focused on sex workers. No one was taking care of their babies and toddlers.
After this realization, Sarah began to think of how we could help those left most vulnerable in these situations (babies).
They have no voice of their own, so we speak up for them.
They need someone to look at them and say, “I see you, and I have not forgotten about you.” Someone to help them stop the cycle and give them a better opportunity. That is what Saving Moses does for these innocent babies who are in these situations by no fault of their own.
Our mission statement says we meet “the most urgent and intense survival needs where help is least available.” This declaration is at the forefront of our minds in everything we do.
When we:
- Survey a new country to open a program
- Explore the need in a particular region
- Work with other organizations.
We saw that giving babies a safe place to stay, away from brothels and the streets of red-light districts, is an immensely urgent need that no one else was meeting. Therefore, NightCare was born.
By caring for the babies while their mothers work, are you supporting sex work?
The sex industry is complex, where there are no easy or simple answers. The roots and causes of sex work are interwoven deep within the country’s culture and tied to class, poverty, and trafficking. Many of these women grow up in an industry where they are highly stigmatized and unable to escape. Sex work often goes on for generations. Many lack access to quality healthcare, and pregnancy is a common byproduct of their work. And if health and safety are taught to the mothers, it is almost always neglected in the children, according to this informative article written by Global Citizen, “The Dangerous Conditions Facing Newborn Babies of Sex Workers.”
We believe the best way to reach a mother’s heart is by protecting her most valued treasure – her children. We love these mothers, and we know how heartbreaking it is for them to always fear for their child’s safety. If mothers ask us for help, we will refer them to trusted organizations in the area for what they need.
Our goal is to remain true to our mission – “saving babies (5 & under) every day by meeting the most urgent and intense survival needs where help is least available.”
