A Gainesville-based non-profit has been fighting to end sex trafficking in South Asia for over 20 years.
Rahab’s Rope opened its first storefront in Downtown Gainesville in 2004. Since its establishment, the faith-based gift shop has sold a variety of jewelry, clothing and other goods to fund its mission of protecting and educating women and children who have previously been victims of sex trafficking.
Director of Operations Madison Ball explained the impact of a purchase made at the store.
“Our ministry, 75% of it is funded through product sales, and 25% is funded through donations,” Ball explained. “Because 75% is funded by product sales, we’re able to cover all of our operating costs without having to use donation resources.”
The organization operates with eight centers scattered throughout South Asia. Some centers are dedicated to helping women develop trade skills such as sewing or jewelry making, while others help them to develop literacy skills. The classes are funded through the store with the ultimate goal of empowering women to be financially independent.
Two centers are located in “red light areas,” which refer to regions where trafficking activities may be the highest. These areas were not disclosed for the protection of those who benefit from the program. Ball said the centers allow for women who are actively involved with sex labor to seek help.
“These women will come throughout the day to our centers, and we have staff there that works with them,” Ball said. “We have programs for their kids to be involved in, and throughout their time there, they’re learning literacy, they’re learning sewing… so they’re then becoming equipped.”
Ball explained sex trafficking in the areas that the organization serves is often cyclical, creating “debt bondage” for victims. Women in these situations are often sold into prostitution and then owe money to whomever “bought” them. Because of this system, victims are forced to pay a portion of the profits they make to that individual. This often makes it nearly impossible to become financially independent, according to Ball.
Ball said that though the ministry aims to end sex trafficking, it never forces women in the program to stop participating in sex labor.
“It really takes building up a level of trust to then have them make the decision to leave. …There’s this mentality that they’re stuck, that there’s not an option for them to leave and so because of that, they choose not to because they’re fearful.” – Madison Ball, Director of Operations for Rahab’s Rope
The U.S. The Department of State classifies countries into four tiers based on its efforts to combat human trafficking. The tiers are Tier 1, Tier 2, Tier 2 Watch List and Tier 3. These are updated each year in the department’s Trafficking in Persons Report. In 2024, the agency estimated nearly 27 million people were exploited for labor, services and commercial sex each year. The 2024 report showed South Asian countries such as Bangladesh, India, Bhutan and Pakistan were all listed as “Tier 2” countries, meaning that leaders are believed to be making significant efforts to comply with the Trafficking Victims Protection Act but do not fully meet the department’s standards.
Meanwhile, countries such as Nepal and Laos were listed on the “Tier 2 Watch List” which often indicates more severe cases of human trafficking. Rahab’s Rope could not disclose the location of other facilities.
Rahab’s Rope also has a storefront in St. Simons Island and options to shop online. However, Ball noted supporting its mission can go beyond purchasing products. The non-profit offers mission trip opportunities and a subscription box that sends supporters a variety of products sold in-store each month. To learn more about ways to get involved, click here.
