Letter to Marisa E. Ferri, Program Officer WHA Region Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons

Letter

Senators Kent Conrad and John Hoeven and Congressman Rick Berg joined together to voice their support for the God's Child Project and its efforts to combat international human trafficking.

In a letter to the U.S. Department of State, the delegation expressed its strong support for God's Child Project and urged the State Department to renew a federal grant for the Bismarck nonprofit's anti-human trafficking program. Last year, it received a $240,000 State Department grant.

"We want to affirm our full support for the God's Child Project and its Guatemala operations. They are deserving of your consideration for this grant renewal," the delegation said in the letter.

God's Child Project has been providing education, medical care, and other critical aid to children and families around the world since 1991. For the past 10 years it has worked with an affiliate in Guatemala, La Asociación Nuestros Ahijados to combat international human trafficking and exploitation through their Institute for Trafficked, Exploited & Missing Persons (ITEMP).

The delegation letter notes that Guatemala is a significant source and transit area for international human trafficking. Since the country's government relies heavily on non-governmental organizations to supply victim services, ITEMP has become a crucial service provider to a significant portion of the country's population.

La Asociación Nuestros Ahijados and ITEMP have rescued exploited victims, helped with victim rehabilitation, coordinated awareness, and created an anti-sex tourism campaign. Their work on behalf of victims has given these unfortunate people, many of whom are children, hope for a future free from pain.

The text of the letter can be found below.

February 17, 2011

Marisa E. Ferri
Program Officer, WHA Region
Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons (G/TIP)
Department of State
1800 G Street NW
Washington, DC 20520

Dear Ms. Ferri:

We write to you today to express our strong support for a North Dakota charity and its Guatemala affiliate, which has applied to renew a grant to combat human trafficking. La Asociación Nuestros Ahijados is the Guatemala operating arm of the God's Child Project, which is a North Dakota 501(c) (3) charity. We are strongly supportive of the good works done by the God's Child Project.

Both the God's Child Project and La Asociación Nuestros Ahijados have been providing education, medical care, nourishment, and support to the children of Guatemala since 1991. Their anti-human trafficking program, The Institute for Trafficked, Exploited, and Missing Persons (ITEMP), was created in 2001 to address the issues of human trafficking and exploitation.

The U.S. Department of Labor estimates that nearly 17 percent of Guatemalan children between the ages of seven and 14 are engaged in child labor. Guatemala is also a significant source and transit area for people being trafficked to Mexico and the United States. Since the country's government relies heavily on non-governmental organizations to supply victim services, ITEMP has become a crucial service provider to a significant portion of the country's population.

La Asociación Nuestros Ahijados and ITEMP have rescued exploited victims, helped with victim rehabilitation, coordinated awareness, and created an anti-sex tourism campaign in Antigua. Their work on behalf of victims has given these unfortunate people, many of whom are children, hope for a future free from pain.

Again, we want to affirm our full support for the God's Child Project and its Guatemala operations. They are deserving of your consideration for this grant renewal.

Sincerely,

KENT CONRAD JOHN HOEVEN RICK BERG

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