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North Star Fund Grantee Helps Trafficking Victim Win Justice

With help from North Star Fund grantee Damayan, and after nearly two years of fighting for her rights, Daedema (Dema) Ramos recently won back wages that were rightfully owed to her after months of exploitation. Dema's victory is one piece of a larger anti-trafficking campaign that Damayan has courageously led to stop the trafficking of low wage, migrant workers by diplomats.

Dema worke d nearly 20 hours a day, earning as little as $500 a month, as a housekeeper for a Kuwaiti diplomat at the UN mission.  After months of little sleep, back-breaking work, and abuse from her employer, she met a fellow Filipina immigrant who gave her the phone number of Damayan, a grassroots organization fighting for the rights of low-wage Filipino migrant workers. The organization helped Dema escape her employer, educated her about her rights, and encouraged her to fight back.  Her experience with Damayan was so profound, that Dema has now become one of the organization's most active organizers.

North Star Fund has been a proud supporter of Damayan since 2005, providing grants that enabled the organization to grow from 15 members at its founding in 2002, to a current membership base of 500.  Damayan most recently received a North Star Fund Movement Leadership grant, a highly competitive grant that helps established organizations with a strong record of success take their work to the next level.

Dema's recent victory adds to the over $245,000 in unpaid wages that Damayan has reclaimed for its members.  North Star Fund donors are critical to successes like these, and provide the capital that enables women like Dema to stand up for their rights and fight for other low-wage trafficked Filipino workers in their community. 

Read more about Dema's story in the Daily News: http://bit.ly/20120913-dailynews-damayan