We’re thrilled to announce...

We’re thrilled to announce that this August we will begin the installation of a new farm in Iquitos, Peru!

In Peru’s urban areas and mining centers, Peruvian women and children are often recruited for sex trafficking through deceptive employment offers. In addition, child sex tourism is present in areas such as Cuzco, Lima, and the Peruvian Amazon. In our continued efforts to stop this injustice, we have partnered with our friends at Help One Now to build a sustainable aquaponics farm in Iquitos.

Iquitos, often referred to as the gateway to the Amazon, lies in the vast Loreto region of Peru. The city is a mix of ancient and modern culture, and has a population of nearly 600,000 people. Because there are no roads that lead to the city, Iquitos is only accessible by plane or ferry boat. While Iquitos is a growing city that is teeming with life, culture, and opportunity for some, many people in the region experience extreme poverty.

Nearly 30% of the population of Iquitos lives in a township called Belen. Belen lies on the Amazon riverbed where the land gives way to water for more than half the year. Because of the nature of the land, it is free to occupy. Therefore, the population of Belen is largely made up of people who are on the fringes of society-economically and/or socially. Some people live there because they have no choice, and some choose to live there to skirt the laws and norms of civil society.

Houses in Belen are either built on stilts or are built to float with the rising river. Many of these one-room homes are occupied by large extended families, and sometimes by multiple families. Most parents in the community are forced to work long hours to make ends meet and have to leave their small children at home alone while they work. In addition, the community has a history of alcoholism. Because of the multitude of challenges that this community faces, abuse, disease, and sexual exploitation are very common.

In response to the extreme poverty that plagues Iquitos, and more specifically, Belen, Help One Now has recently established a safe home there to provide love, hope, restoration, refuge, safety, and healing for survivors of human trafficking. The installation of a farm at the safe home in Iquitos will provide a source of healthy, fresh produce for this community. It also has the potential to provide a source of income as well as a pathway to teach the kids at the home valuable life skills. The farm may even provide a natural therapy for the staff and kids at the safe home.

After recently being trained in trauma care, Mercedes (pictured above at right) helps manage Help One Now’s safe home in Iquitos. It was nearly twenty years ago that she and her late husband first dreamed of a safe place for abused women and children in their community. We are excited to partner with her by bringing a sustainable aquaponics farm to her community.

Thank You!

We want to thank everyone who attended our 4th annual banquet on March 8th in Portland, Oregon. We also want to thank those of you who were unable to attend, but still supported us from a distance. We are so thankful to say that the night was a huge success! 

Human trafficking is a man-made problem, and because it is a man-made problem, we can create man-made solutions. Thank you for partnering with us to support our creative and sustainable solution to human trafficking.

Upcoming Events

1. April 10th – International Fly Fishing Film Festival in Bend, Oregon 

For the 2nd year in a row, the Bend community will gather at the Tower Theatre to watch epic fly fishing short films from IF4. There will be raffle prizes, great giveaways, and Bucky Buchstaber will also be talking about the positive impact that the FFC community is making together. Tickets are available at the Bend Fly Shop, Fly and Field, and online.

April 10th, 2019
7-9pm (doors open at 6:00) 
835 NW Wall St, Bend, OR 97701

2. April 17th – International Fly Fishing Film Festival in Eugene, Oregon

For the 4th year in a row, the Eugene community will gather at Wildish Theatre to watch fly fishing short films from IF4. At this event, there will be a silent auction, raffle prizes, great giveaways, and Bucky Buchstaber will also be talking about the positive impact that the FFC community is making together. Tickets available at Home Water Fly Shop, Caddis Fly Shop, and online.

April 17th, 2019
7:00-9:00pm (doors open at 6:15) 
630 Main St, Springfield, OR 97477