Today we’d like to introduce you to Christine Allen.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
In 2009, I took a leave of absence from my corporate job (Brand Management at Frito-Lay) to help fight human trafficking in India. I was raised in a very service-oriented family, and my personal calling has always been to serve women and children living in poverty – it pulls at my heartstrings every day. And one year I felt very strongly that God was calling me to go learn more about poverty and to actually go live in the midst of it. Rather than just throwing money at a problem, I wanted to understand what caused it and how to sustainably fix it.
During the time I lived in India, I volunteered with an organization that was fighting human trafficking. They were doing heart-wrenching work, raiding brothels to rescue underage girls who had been kidnapped or tricked into being sex slaves. This situation was so disheartening because when the brothels were raided, a corrupt legal system meant that the pimps weren’t prosecuted, and they would just find new girls the next day.
All of this seemingly terrific work fighting human trafficking wasn’t going to solve the problem. With 27 million people worldwide being trafficked, rescue and rehabilitation are necessary, but it will never stop trafficking. When I returned to the US, my husband and I discussed the root cause of all of the darkness. Essentially it all boiled down to poverty. Extreme poverty caused vulnerable youth to accept “jobs” working in the cities (supposedly cleaning houses or working at factories – only to find out that the jobs were anything but that).
Extreme poverty left families with no other options but to let their children roam the streets while they looked for work, leaving them vulnerable to traffickers. Extreme poverty caused families to sometimes sell their own children, knowing full well what would happen to them. Extreme poverty fueled the pimps to do unspeakable things to these little girls. So we were determined to make a dent in the cause – and to give these people a way out of poverty (and therefore help them avoid trafficking) –and that was with an education.
So in 2012, we started Ark of the Rainbow. So exactly what is Ark of the Rainbow? We are a poverty-alleviation ministry bringing hope and opportunity to the slums of India. We empower families to prevent trafficking and lift their children out of poverty through education. We are a faith-based organization, but at the same time, with our business backgrounds, we strongly believe in efficiency and effectiveness in all that we do.
What we offer:
-ELEMENTARY EDUCATION: We don’t just fund kids to go to ineffective schools, instead, we run our own school and guarantee a high-quality education that gives students the tools to change their lives. We currently have over 200 students, ages 2 yrs through 4th grade at the school.
-LEADERSHIP CLUBS: Our Girls & Boys Clubs are helping to create a different storyline where the teens, living in the slums, can flourish and thrive. We are changing the self-perceptions that their community has fostered that tell them because they are dark-skinned, poor or a girl… their lives don’t have worth and they “have no future”. We’re building their self-esteem and teaching them confidence, work ethic and to dare to dream.
-COLLEGE EDUCATION: We identify the leaders that graduate from our GIRLS & BOYS CLUBS and sponsor them to attend college.
There are even programs for the parents, from parenting seminars to community counseling! We even have a WOMEN’S CLUB: Our Women’s Club is empowering women to become agents of transformation in their communities. We are helping severely marginalized women see that they have God-given abilities and helping them to flourish.
-MEDICAL CLINIC: Because unforeseen medical expenses can often be the tipping point for sending a low-income family into unrecoverable debt, we’re able to offer free or subsidized medical care to all families living in the slum through a weekly medical clinic. By making these services available, we’re helping to ensure that poor families aren’t taking their children out of school to help the family earn money to pay off debt.
-ACROSS ALL OF THIS… We share the good news of the gospel in everything we do while serving everyone regardless of their beliefs. Ultimately, we’re BRINGING HOPE to a community that really needs it.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
There was a steep learning curve for me in order to start a non-profit in the US and learn how to operate with a team in another country. But because our programs perfectly align with my passions, and because I see the impact of our work every day, it’s never felt like a chore to figure things out. I know that every hour I invest in this is changing the lives of a child living in extreme poverty.
Please tell us about Ark of the Rainbow.
We fight poverty and human trafficking through education. I’m most proud of the quality of the education we are providing because I truly believe it will change the future course of these children’s lives. I’m also very proud that we are able to do so much with so little.
We are a relatively small organization in terms of revenue, but because we believe in operating efficiently, use an entirely local staff, and public donations never are used to cover any overhead, we are able to do A LOT with the gifts we receive.
I also think being small sets us apart. We are able to put a very personal touch on everything we do. Our child sponsorships allow a true connection to a child in India.
For instance, if a donor tells us they would like their sponsored child to get a new outfit or pair of shoes for their birthday, we can take the child shopping the next day and send a personalized thank you video showing them with their purchases.
Pricing:
- $300 to sponsor a child for a year
Contact Info:
- Website: arkoftherainbow.org
- Phone: 972-746-8669
- Email: christine@arkoftherainbow.org
- Instagram: instagram.com/ArkoftheRainbow
- Facebook: facebook.com/ArkoftheRainbow
Image Credit:
Angela Weedon
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