I, Ngayungwon Tollin Thumra (pursuing PhD research at the Protestant Theological University) express my sincere gratitude to Catharina Halkes Fonds for your support on my project “Spiritual Care for Female Survivors of Sex-Trafficking: A practical -Theological Study”. With the fellowship grant received, I have been able to begin the empirical section of the research. The grant enabled me to explore, navigate and make arrangements for interviews. I have conducted five interviews (as proposed) with spiritual care givers who are professionally involved with sex workers. Two of the interviewees were ordained priest while the other three interviewees were faithful Christians deeply engaged in church ministry while working with organisations that support sex workers in the Netherlands. Their experiences in the field range between 3 to 30 years. The transcription work of the five digitally recorded interviews have also been done. I have also received a few referrals that need further follow up. This development has been an important step in the research as the theories that have been discussed can further be understood in interaction with the voices of the spiritual care givers. More interviews will be conducted as correspondences are awaited from interviewees who have been contacted. Regarding the interviews with survivors of sex trafficking, getting the research ethics approval have been challenging. At this stage, I am waiting for the Protestant Theological University’s Ethics committee to be installed. As and when that is through, I will begin contacting survivors for interviews through acquaintances from the care givers network.
The progress made in the research has been possible from the financial grant received from Catharina Halkes Fonds. I am grateful for the trust that has been placed in my research. Thanking Catharina Halkes Fonds for the consistent support for my project.