Meet Ruthie. Our First Rescue.

It was Ruthie who made us recognize the need for our first Selah House—and her story that prompted us to create places of rest, hope, and healing for multitudes of young girls just like her.

From being locked in a cage to thriving in a loving home, Ruthie is the joy of our Cambodian Selah House.

The roosters have been crowing for more than an hour by the time the sun rises in Cambodia. It’s 6:30 AM and the sun is just beginning to cut through the smoke and smog that fills the dense air surrounding this small village. Tuk-tuk drivers start their engines and you hear the buzz of their two-cycle engines disappear into the distance as they make the hour or so journey into Phnom Penh, where they will spend the day shuttling people around the city. Women stand outside their homes bent over the laundry basin, others begin their day by mopping down the floors in their very small village home, using a broom to clean yesterday’s dust and push it into the street where the dirty gray water becomes the slough that will eventually dissipate in the heat of the day.

This day, although ordinary for those living in this rural village, wouldn’t be ordinary for Tete. Like most mornings, her grandmother would rise early, walk outside their small home and unshackle Tete, who had been bound the night before. She would then be free to roam the village unsupervised.

Tete’s mother was sold into prostitution by Tete’s grandmother months ago and had recently died. Six months prior, Tete’s father died of HIV—a familiar story for those living in these brothel villages where most inhabitants are uneducated and haven’t been taught preventive measures.

Last night, like most nights, Tete was bound by a chain that was placed around her neck and was left outside for those passing by to do what they pleased with her.

When she wasn’t being exploited for sex, her grandmother and neighbors would throw food scraps at her so she would have something to eat. Tete was better known as the ‘Village Idiot’ because she was a bit slower than most—quite possibly a condition from birth, but more than likely a result of the severe and traumatic abuse she endured on a daily basis as child.

This day was the day that everything changed. Tete is a testament to the adage that a great future doesn’t require a great past. This was the day that we would rescue Tete and give her the name Ruthie.

Ruthie’s five-year-old body showed signs of trauma and abuse when we rescued her that day in 2010. She wouldn’t speak, and screamed when any male figure came close. Yet Ruthie’s story—filled with unfathomable pain and trauma—inspired our partners to start a safe house for women and children in Cambodia, and eventually, in Indonesia.

Today more than thirty girls have been rescued. At our safe houses in Cambodia and Indonesia the sound of the rooster crowing and break of dawn tells an entirely new story—one of hope, love and healing. Today these young women are given a private education, have access to healthcare, and a safe place to sleep and eat. They dream of being doctors, teachers and lawyers. Today Tete’s story, combined with your support, continues to serve as an inspiration to rescue, restore and change lives. 

“Ruthie is the joy of the Selah House. She gives the best hugs in the world and her smile lights up every room she enters.”