Thamee's Story
July 2018
Thamee lived with her mother inside Myanmar. She never knew her father.
Desperate for income, Thamee's mother found work in city several hours from home. A neighboring couple in her village offered to cover her travel costs and care for her daughter, if Thamee would cook and clean for the family. The mother agreed and essentially Thamee was bought at age 9 for $74.
Over a year had passed when Thamee unexpectedly ran into her aunt at the local market. Thamee told her she had been sold and asked if she could come live with the aunt. Together they approached the couple who demanded repayment for caring for Thamee with free room and board so the aunt paid $31 to buy her back.
Soon after Thamee came into her care, the aunt recognized that something was really wrong. After a full medical assessment, doctors discovered the reason why Thamee was so eager to leave that couple’s home. It took years for Thamee to open up about all of the trauma she experienced in that home.
Because of the level of physical care and emotional healing needed, the aunt didn’t feel capable so Thamee came into our emergency care.
GCA’s team built relationship with Thamee and cared for her with dignity, sensitivity, and compassion.
We created a treatment plan to help her recover from her trauma and within three months, we saw incredible healing and restoration mentally, physically, and emotionally. Through the one-on-one consistent love and care from our team, Thamee began to thrive in miraculous ways we could not explain.
Thamee began to understand God's love for her as and we watched her transform into a confident young lady whose smile fills a room.
Emergency care is never a long term solution for a child so we knew that Thamee needed the love and support of a family.
When we determined there was not a safe care option within her own family, we recruited and equipped a loving family through the local church.
Thamee’s new family loves her like a daughter and they are thriving together. As a member of our teen artisan program, she is learning life-skills and creating beautiful jewelry at Sojourn Studio.