The Valuable to Jesus campaign

Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves…
Proverbs 31:8-9

A glimpse in the South African reality:

South Africa is called the “rape capital” of the world.
Every 17 seconds an adult woman is raped in South Africa. [Interpol]
A child is raped in South Africa every three minutes, but almost nine out of ten cases of child rape are never reported. [Solidarity Helping Hand]
A girl born in South Africa has about a 1 in 3 chance of completing secondary school, but she has a 1 in 2 chance of being raped. [lostgirlssa.org]
According to an international BBC report, a female born in South Africa has a greater chance of being raped in her lifetime than learning how to read.
About 90% of the children are sexually abused by people they know [Child Molestation Research and Prevention Institute]; several studies indicate that up to 97% of perpetrators were child abuse victims themselves [Cape Town Trauma Dr Sebastion van As] and 87% molesters abusing girls and 77% abusing boys admit to regular use of pornography. [Report on the Use of Pornography by Sexual Offenders]
It is a reality that even parents (especially mothers) force their children into prostitution and that the communities are aware of child prostitution in their midst, but justify it as “a necessary evil”. An estimated 28 000 to 38 000 children are involved in prostitution in South Africa. [Molo Songololo].

The Valuable to Jesus campaign

Straatwerk has had the privilege of reaching out to women involved in prostitution and their children for many years. We found that a shocking amount of children get abused sexually and innocently get caught up in the web of prostitution. Furthermore, we all get exposed to or made aware of a flood wave of pornography and more information, further underlining the reality of this intolerable situation. We believe that it is time to come together, all over South Africa, in abolishing these atrocities! It is, therefore, a privilege to coordinate this campaign!

The vision of the Valuable to Jesus campaign is to see Christ conquering sexual abuse, prostitution and pornography through His Church and in His name by focussed prayer and compelled action. A campaign standing against something is actually standing FOR another reality! VTJ stand FOR the fact that the LIFE of ABUNDANCE and LOVE is possible in Jesus Christ, also for those who have experienced sexual abuse and addiction.

The heart of the campaign is to mobilise the Church and to develop community awareness, to LIVE the Lord’s heart in this regard and to stand up against these atrocities. There needs to be a circle in which our children can live safely. (The circle is not absent, but needs to grow in size, unity and enthusiasm.)

The face of the campaign is the VTJ six-point interactive and age-sensitive school presentation, which mainly gets presented by local Christians after the Church has been mobilised and the community awareness has been matured. After the presentation, every primary school child receives a doll and every high school child a heart, knitted and made by Christians who prayed for the child while they made the doll/heart.

Why hand-knitted dolls and handmade hearts as part of the message? You are lovingly handmade by the Almighty God (the dolls/hearts are handmade, with love); there is no one like you (every doll/heart is unique – no two are exactly the same); you are extremely valuable, no money can pay for you (the dolls/hearts are not for sale) and God wants to keep you safe in the palm of His hand (the dolls/hearts fit in your palm).

The campaign relies on co-operation of the whole community: pray in a focused and committed way; live and spread the message every moment within your specific context; knit dolls and/or make hearts; help with the program presentations and coordinate the campaign in your town/city/area.