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Do not protest the darkness; light a match. Join Free A Child in celebrating the light by participating in An Evening in Shangri-la on January 28, 2006 at 6p.m.at Naropa’s Nalanda campus, Boulder, CO. The horrors in our world abound, including abject poverty, and one of its most disturbing truths—the selling of innocent children into sexual slavery, torture and abuse. Boulder, CO-based Free A Child’s (FAC) proven programs, fueled by love, passion, respect and dignity, are making a real difference in multitudes of lives, and raising global consciousness. “We want our community to rally around eliminating child sex trafficking and abuses,” said Kenlyn Kolleen, president of FAC’s board of directors. “An Evening in Shangri-la raises funds for our Nepal program and to launch the US program in 2006. It is a real opportunity for people to make a real difference.” Knowing that the spirit of hope, joy and abundance that permeates the event will reverberate outward into the community and to the children and families in need, the annual fund raiser employs an evening of festivities: dinner by local chefs, Girls on Top! performing live, and gourmet vodka. Silent and live auctions items are as varied as skiwear, a cottage retreat in England, a home on the coast in Southern Spain, a stay in Breckenridge, or a three-night stay at Travel + Leisure magazine’s number-one rated spa, Miraval Resort, as well as local restaurant gift certificates, massages and personal training sessions. “We are in the process of exposing the unconsciousness in the world to create consciousness. That process always happens within before it can be seen on the outside. Everyone who participates in Shangri-la is part of global consciousness-raising. It is literally, as Ghandi said, ‘Be the change you want to see in the world’,” said Kolleen.
“Once I learned about Free A Child, I could not rest until I became involved. I felt that if I ignored this situation, I would be perpetuating it. Being involved has changed my life as it has made me have a larger vision of what my life is about outside of my own family and work,” said volunteer Helena Unger. “Becoming involved in FAC is a mindfulness practice, working with this suffering in my own mind, bringing that awareness to others, and putting our plans into action helping all these children become self-sufficient so that they can change their own lives and have a chance to live a full and mindful life, one in which they are not sexual slaves. I love how the Vipassana teacher, Goenka, told his students that they must practice mindfulness practice, but then have to go out into the world, not just sit at home.” Light your match: volunteer on an event committer such as gathering auction items, food and beverages, or finding corporate sponsors, setting up or cleaning up. Contribute auction items—a ski condo, house cleaning service, a massage—whatever you have to give. An Evening in Shangri-la offers opportunities for even more direct involvement with empowering others, such as the auction that raises money to allow villages to become self-sufficient. For example, rearing goats, so they don’t have to sell their daughters into brothels to survive. And, of course, attend the event, and see how saving the world can be a joy, knowing that the feeling of joy resonates with your intention. If you cannot attend, donations are welcome at www.freeachild.org.
The heart of FAC’s efforts is to prevent and end child trafficking and uplift human dignity. With a clear focus on current grass-roots programs, continued alliance with partner agency General Welfare Pratisthan (GWP) in Nepal, assessing current political issues, and considering future opportunities both abroad and in the U.S., FAC has concrete evidence that its work is working, that a flicker of hope spreads far and wide. "It's really a complex issue, and I love that we're part of the solution and that we're working at the root cause to stop it," Kolleen said of her visit to Nepal to evaluate FAC’s program. “Seeing first-hand the change in the lives of the girls and women FAC has touched totally inspired me. Our girls and women stood out—they were empowered. They were confident. They held their heads high. They laughed a lot. Traveling through other villages where FAC did not have a program, the people looked different. They didn’t smile. They seemed burdened by life, edgier. I realized that when you empower a woman or a young girl, you change the entire system. Empowered women take care of their children—feed them, educate them, pay for their medicines—because they can. They’ve learned that they are in charge of their lives. That seems fundamental, but poverty, it seems, can shake this out of a person. I am not saying that Free A Child does all of this; it doesn’t have to. All that’s needed is to light the initial spark. It’s within each of us to do the rest. That’s the beauty of it. We simply provide tools; they free themselves.”
This empowerment, coupled with strategic economic opportunity, is changing the face of Nepal’s people. They are brighter. The light comes full circle. You can be part of spreading the light by volunteering, or simply attending An Evening in Shangri-la. Details:
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Escape to Shangri-la Ignites Illumination 
The effect of participating is powerful.
It is easy to falter under the weight of the truth. About a million children are forced into sexual slavery, rape and abuse each year. The average age of sex slaves is ages 10 to 14; as many as two-thirds of them become infected with HIV/AIDS. 
The golden keys FAC use are basic: education and economic opportunities to empower indigenous people to solve their own problems. Partnering with indigenous organizations that share core values, programs include peer-to-peer education, local girls’ clubs, street dramas and a micro-economic loan program. In effect since 1998, FAC’s programs have impacted thousands in rural villages throughout Nepal. One young woman in a village told Kolleen how she and her friends from the girls’ club ran a trafficker out of town. They assessed his offer to work in India and collectively decided it was a sham. Together they confronted him, saying, “If the job pays so well, why don’t you take it? You look like you need the money,” and told him to leave the village. FAC is also investigating how to apply the model of working with nonprofit organizations with key skills and insights, such as training law enforcement or reintegrating victims, to create a whole, integrated solution in this country.