The word “Shalom” means “Peace” in Hebrew, and the Shalom Project at A&M is committed to bringing this peace to those in need. The Shalom Project, through Breakaway Ministries, raised $119,000 in four weeks to rescue hundreds of children in India and Haiti from becoming victims of human trafficking.
The goal set by the Breakaway staff was $27,000, but the giving hearts of many students at A&M helped to exceed that goal by a quadruple amount. With the donations received, 19 girls in India will be set free from a life of sex trafficking and 165 children in Haiti will have freedom from slavery.
“The heartbeat behind the project is that we have to have more than the moment of worshiping the Lord; we’re meant to be changed during worship and move out and be a force for change out there in the world,” said Ben Stuart, lead speaker for Breakaway Ministries. ” One of us can’t change the world, but if all of us leaned together toward a cause we could make a difference. We are going to set children free by the grace of God in the name of Jesus.”
Breakaway Ministries collected donations online and during its weekly bible study services on Tuesday nights, giving away “Shalom” T-shirts with each donation. Although the goal was met during the first week of giving, students continued to give far more than anticipated.
“It was amazing to see college kids rally around a cause with so much energy. They were not slowed down when we met our original goal; they continued to come out and bring money with even more passion to see breakthrough. The sight was mind-blowing and humbling as I saw what we could do as a collective force for good,” said Lindsey Aldridge, sophomore special education major and Breakaway Ministries volunteer.
Some students sold their possessions while others gave their savings, going above and beyond.
“It just shows how big of a God we serve. God put it on the hearts of a lot of students to give, and they were just open to what He wanted to do through them. I think we see that in the fact that the number was quadrupled. To see poor college students raise that much money is just a miracle,” said Brent Monogue, class of 2010 and Breakaway Ministries staff member.Many students shared stories about how the Shalom Project opened their eyes to the needs of people around the world. During the past few weeks, many have found a passion for reaching out to those less fortunate. Trafficking statistics in India alone are astounding to many students; a quarter of the 2.3 million prostitutes in India are children and trafficking of minor girls is a billion dollar industry in Mumbay, India. Even more shocking is that it only costs around $3,300 to free a young girl from a life of trafficking forever.
“I think the Shalom Project has opened the eyes of Bryan-College Station to the needs around the world,” Aldridge said. “So many did not know about all of the horrible slavery that exists and the Lord has used this project to open the eyes and hearts of Aggies to the needs worldwide. Fueled by the Lord, the Shalom Project is a direct opportunity for Aggies to sow into the kingdom and help set children free from the bonds of slavery.”
Breakaway Ministries partnered with the organization’s “Restavek Freedom” and “As Our Own” for the Shalom Project. If you’re interested in becoming a part of this movement of freeing children all over the world, check out the “Connect” link at the Breakaway Ministries website. While the Shalom Project won’t pick up until next year, the “Do Something Now” ministry will continue to collect donations towards bringing hope to children who are enslaved and awaiting freedom from bondage, freedom that we can all play a part in if we only realize that we can help make a difference.