Phoenix Rising Foundation

❤️ The image of the child musician crying was classified as one of the most emotional photographs of modern history.

This photo was taken of a 12-year-old Brazilian boy (Diego Frazzo Turkato), playing the violin at the funeral of his teacher who rescued him from the environment of poverty and crime in which he lived.

In this image, humanity speaks with the strongest voice in the world:

"Cultivate love and kindness in a child to sow the seeds of compassion. And only then you will build a great civilization, a great nation "...

A Mighty Girl Pick of the Day: “Sold” by Patricia McCormick. Lakshmi’s family is poor, but together they scrape by in their rural Nepal home. When the crops fail, however, their situation suddenly becomes dire. Lakshmi’s stepfather tells her that she must leave home to work in the city to help support the family, but when she reaches the “Happiness House” in India, she learns the truth: she has been sold into prostitution. Lakshmi believes that she has no escape from the horrors of her new life, but she remembers her mother’s words: “Simply to endure is to triumph.” Perhaps, if Lakshmi can endure long enough, escape -- and a life of her own -- will become possible.

This National Book Award Finalist tackles the difficult issue of s*x trafficking with a compassionate and truthful eye. McCormick spoke to many girls and women from India’s s*x trade in researching this novel, giving an authentic feel to the terror, bewilderment, and hope experienced by her main character. Written in free verse, Lakshmi’s story shows that it is possible for a girl facing this brutal life not just to survive but to eventually triumph. Highly recommended for ages 14 and up.

To learn more about “Sold”, visit http://www.amightygirl.com/sold

A film version of this powerful novel was released last year -- for more info about it, visit http://www.soldthemovie.com/

To learn more about problem of s*x trafficking, as well as about the exploitation of girls and women in general, we highly recommend "Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide" at http://www.amightygirl.com/half-the-sky and the accompanying documentary, for ages 13 and up, at http://www.amightygirl.com/half-the-sky-documentary

The new documentary "A Path Appears" also includes a segment exploring the problem of s*x trafficking in the US at http://amzn.to/1DjqnHz

For more stories about the challenges faced by girls and women living in poverty, visit our "Poverty & Hardship" section at http://www.amightygirl.com/books/social-issues/poverty-hardship

We are all one...

we are all human !!! and nothing will change this....