The Reality of Unmarked Trails

Thanks to our Elevate Freedom hiking fundraiser I’ve been spending a lot more time out on trails this month. One thing that keeps coming up to bug me more than the mosquitos are frequent, unmarked forks in the trail. On one hand, venturing off into the unknown feds my exploration-loving soul. On the other hand, there’s a reality to contend with of risk and resources.

As a woman, I am cautious to weigh the risk of areas I explore alone. I try to stick to more populated areas, turn my headphones off, check blind corners; I listen for approaching footsteps, and many other measures to keep myself as safe as possible. As an asthmatic, I am careful to calculate my resources as well. Do my lungs have enough oomph left for the hills ahead, does my phone have enough battery if I need it, do I have my medicine and water?

Exploring unknown paths can lead to better opportunities and exciting adventures, no doubt! However, if you belong to a vulnerable group or have little resources, the unknown can be terrifying or just simply unreasonable.

But unmarked paths are a reality of life… literally and figuratively. How often do we encounter a pair of choices where it is necessary to decide without knowing all the details? We can base our decision on past experiences, on how the first steps of each path look, or on a gut feeling, but what can be especially helpful is the input of others with clarity of vision.

In the work of Not Abandoned, we aim to be helpful trail guides of sorts to the ladies we serve. We can provide the maps to help her see the big picture of a scenario. We prioritize the wisdom of voices that have walked those trails before and know how to navigate them by experience. We offer resources to recharge and equip her for her journey. Most of all, we make sure she doesn’t have to continue along the path alone. To take the thoughts of Frost a step farther, when choosing which road to travel amongst the diverged woods, the company kept will make all the difference.

Dao is one woman who choose to take a new road.

How did she end up in the brothel in the first place? The six months she’d been here felt so much longer. Dao is a quiet young woman who met our Thai staff through an outreach one afternoon. She had been coerced into going with clients for commercial sex by the bar where she only intended to serve drinks about four months prior and wanted out desperately. Thankfully she was eager to join in with programming at our center. Here she found healing, safe community, and attended a basic computer training to help platform her for future growth. Because of this practical and loving support, Dao was able to secure a new job at a rice production facility near her home village and quickly impressed her employer with the computer skills she learned. Dao’s reintegration hasn’t been without challenges but her immense progress is certainly a bright spot of hope for other women in the bars.