High Tea with a purpose

The Haven Tea Room

Today I went to the Haven Tea room for high tea....yes even in Cambodia there are places to go for high tea. It almost sounds snobbish but Haven Tea room was established 2 years ago by an Australian couple who are helping to provide employment to girls who either were abused or were at risk of being trafficked  The tea room offers a selection of delicious home cooked pastries, finger sandwiches and some serious little cup cakes --- all of which will add some additional love handles to your waist but it is worth it.

I went with 23 other women who all attend the International church that I go to. It was a fun time, sipping tea in fine bone china that was brought all the way from Australia. So we ate from 3pm to 6pm----okay we didn't eat for 3 hours straight but we ate a lot in a short space of time so much so that I did not eat dinner tonight. The total cost is $6.00 per person and you can eat all you want. So for those of you who love this kind of environment, it is money well spent (and calories well added) when you think of the fact that you are supporting a ministry that provides employment for former victims of trafficking as well as other marginalized young people. Indeed it is high tea with a purpose!

In Phnom Penh, it is not surprising to see different organizations or groups trying to find ways to create sustainable employment for the vulnerable. The folks who run The Haven Tea room also have a beauty salon that is now a training centre for 14 girls, some of whom had been rescued from the sex trade and human trafficking in Cambodia. This is a grassroots project which is teaching skills that will empower young women to create new lives and career. Providing the appropriate life skills is a step towards greater freedom for these young people as they begin a new chapter in their lives discovering their talents and gifts that will one day bless the communities they live in.

And so as you think of us at Ratanak, pray that the Lord will give us His visions on how best we can encourage, affirm and empower the young women who will be part of our centre and which organizations we should be partnering with who can provide the necessary training to strengthen and develop their God given potential.