Your Impact

The Starfish Parable

One day, an old man was walking along a beach that was littered with thousands of starfish that had been washed ashore by the high tide. As he walked he came upon a young boy who was eagerly throwing the starfish back into the ocean, one by one.

Puzzled, the man looked at the boy and asked what he was doing. Without looking up from his task, the boy simply replied, “I’m saving these starfish, Sir”.

The old man chuckled aloud, “Son, there are thousands of starfish and only one of you. What difference can you make?”

The boy picked up a starfish, gently tossed it into the water and turning to the man, said,

“I made a difference to that one!”

9 Ways Your Purchase Transforms Lives

Exploited Women Visited

Our Starfish Project teams serve over 400 women each month through weekly visits to the brothels. We provide medical support, educational lessons, birthday celebrations and safe loving friendships.

Safe Housing Provided

We operate one of the only safe shelters for women and children in the cities in which we operate. Our shelter program is designed to prepare women and girls for independent living.

Career Opportunities Given

Each new woman who joins Starfish Project begins on our jewelry production team. As she matures and grows, she can move in to positions of leadership in the business, including material sourcing, accounting, quality control and photography.

Counseling Provided

Each woman has the opportunity to begin to confront her pain, heal her hurts, and learn healthy life skills. Additionally, each woman works with a guidance counselor to develop and implement an individualized growth plan that helps her grow academically, professionally and emotionally.

Vocational Training Given

At Starfish Project we offer literacy, math, English and computer training. Through these courses, every woman has the opportunity to become certified in Microsoft Office software. Additionally, we support women in studying higher level skills, such as: photography, management and accounting.

Families United

In the cities in which we operate many women send their children back to their villages where they only get to visit them once a year due to financial pressures. We encourage and help reunite the women of Starfish Project with their children so they can live together as a family.

Children Educated

With the high costs of schooling in the cities, many migrant families are separated from their children. We provide education grants for employees' children to attend school in the city so they can remain with their parents.

Health Care Provided

Every woman receives medical insurance and annual medical check-ups. We have professional medical volunteers that provide health classes to our women and offer services to women still working in the brothels.

Empowerment Released

Our goal at Starfish Project is to provide the tools necessary for each woman to empower herself and act as a launching pad into a better future. We desire that each woman has great employment and educational opportunities, healthy marriages and relationships with their families.