Dear Members and Friends of IBCZ,
During September the emphasis at IBCZ is on engaging with our Missions and Missionaries. This week we focus on The Open Door Foundation, another mission that we prayer for and support. Lindy Hirt has supplied the following article.
The Open Door Foundation was founded in 2010 by Monica Boseff (Moni) as a response to the dire need of sex trafficking victims in Romania. At the time, Romania had no other place to house the girls/children who were rescued from sex-trafficking in Romania and throughout Europe. This is still a rampant issue in Romania, with countless girls falling prey to the professional tactics of the traffickers (Lover Boy is a common tactic).
Hundreds of women and children have come through the “Open Doors” since they opened, either staying at the shelter or being part of their live-out program. The non-residential program includes several children who have been used by trafficking rings for pornography (the shelter is not licensed to house children who are not the children of the trafficking victims).
Services given to the victims include room and board, medical care, psychological care, social work, vocational training and most of all, unconditional love. They have an onsite social workers, a psychologist, security guard, and a lawyer (Mirela), who has given up her own practice to convict the traffickers of the victims. They also teach the girls life skills as many have not learned these as they were trafficked from a young age. Moni, herself, is hands-on and the residents adore her as she models both love and structure. They have a weekly allowance and are taught how to save and become independent.
Moni’s husband Christi is a pastor and they take the women and children to church weekly. The workers in the program are also all Christian. Over the years, several of the women have accepted Christ as their savior and have been baptized (Praise the Lord!!!!!) Christian values are promoted in the home.
When you walk through the doors, the immediate response is love and joy, despite the horrific stories of the residents.
Support Needed
The Foundation needs support with operation costs, such as groceries, housing, transportation, cleaning supplies, toiletries, etc. Just keeping running is very expensive.
Additionally, the social worker and lawyer are basically working for nothing and legal fees are very expensive. They also pay for the girls’ vocational training in a variety of areas.
Moni and her team are extremely grateful to IBCZ for their generosity over the years. More than anything, they cherish our prayers.