One of the things I enjoy the most about my work is that it’s so focused on relationships. Take my meeting with Ryan Berg, Co-founder of Aruna Project, for example. We spent the first minutes discussing our families and their successes and differing stages. Once we got down to the details of the work going on in the Maharashtra state of India Aruna works in, Ryan quickly showed he isn’t just a family man.
Ryan Berg, Co-founder of Aruna
Aruna seamstresses hard at work.
“India is proving to be more difficult to work in as they make adjustments to their foreign funds regulations.”
There are multiple policies and regulations in place that Aruna must follow, especially because they not only have a non-profit side, but also a successful enterprise employing women who have been rescued from sex trafficking. Recently, the policies have become more strict, and in one example, only 3 banks in the entire US could process the paperwork Ryan needed to file!
They are also facing more persecution from local political swings. Luckily, he has a great contact at the International Justice Mission (IJM) who is able to support him and his team, but it just means that more of his local staff will be empowered during these trials and storms. But as I listened to Ryan and his organizations unwavering efforts to rescue women, I remembered a quote I’d heard the day before.
“You don’t need light if the room is already bright.”
I reminded Ryan of this and then we got to the amazing part: their increased success rates. Using their Assessment of Survivor Outcomes Tool, they’ve estimated that they now have an 80%+ success rate for keeping women out of trafficking once they have been rescued. They’re also showing new records of success with holistic care, transitional housing, and production of their bags. They’ve also recorded that 116 women have been freed and employed by Aruna, which has a miraculous multiplying effect in their families and communities.
Aruna has many future goals and room for growth, and we are so excited to see them step more into trauma care and business success. We ended our call in prayer, and I left thinking what I always do, “I learn every single day from these amazing heroes.”
