Project 2023-24
TAMAR
Tamar are a charity that began in 2013 out of the ministry of All Souls Langham Place. They seek to reach and support sex workers in Westminister, particularly reaching women who have been trafficked. The name Tamar is a biblical name and there are two stories in the bible of women called Tamar, who were both badly mistreated by men and society. However, both of these women feature in the lineage of Christ. They matter because of God’s divine purposes to bring about salvation to all the world, through their stories. The compassion, dignity and justice that shines through these stories foreshadows how Jesus himself would treat women on the outskirts of society.
The charity Tamar has reached hundreds of individuals and continues to speak hope into the lives of many women suffering the horrors of the sex industry.
The
work of Tamar is done by volunteers and offers hope through physical,
practical, emotional and spiritual support. Beginning with small but meaningful
acts of kindness like supplying home baked cakes, Tamar seek to show women that
they are worthy of love and deserve to be treated as people, not things.
Practical
support can include helping women to book their own medical appointments and travelling
with them to the appointment, thus supporting women struggling to access basic
healthcare. Having someone sit with you in the waiting room is as necessary as
someone helping to fill in a long complicated form at the registration desk.
Assistance with other types of paperwork (for example NI applications) is also
crucial as many of these women have low literacy and may not have immediate
access to online forms or even have the data to input. Tamar provides
one-to–one English lessons to those who need them. This is especially important
for trafficked women or refugees who have found themselves trapped in the sex
industry.
When
there are more extensive needs that Tamar don’t have the resources to handle,
they signpost to a network of local commissioned services (from health to
recovery and support services).
Tamar
regularly visit those who are in safe places of work. Understanding
what these women’s day to day looks help, better informs volunteers how to
help. Of course, there are times when this isn’t possible, so finding
alternative places to meet up like a coffee shop or library allows Tamar
volunteers to be creative about how they meet women.
The
horrific reality is most of the women Tamar come in contact with will be
suffering extreme loss, trauma, fear and will be enduring several emotional,
financial and sometimes physical difficulties. Tamar offer confidential
personal advice including formal and informal counselling. These conversations
are often messy and require a wealth of patience and compassion. The volunteers
at Tamar understand it is not their job to fix people or solve all their
problems, but to journey alongside individuals whilst they make the transition
to a new life.
It
is such a privilege to sit with women while they pour out their suffering to
the all-knowing, all-loving Saviour, confident that he is good and hears our
cries. For many of these women someone offering to prayer with them is an
overwhelming act of care as it shows you are ready to listen and wish to bring
them before God.
To find
out more about Tamar via their website, https://tamarwestminster.org/ There is also an option to
provide your email address so they can include you as part of their prayer
mailing list.
In
Zechariah 7:8-10 we read this,
“And the word of the Lord came again to Zechariah: “This is what the Lord Almighty said: ‘Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor.”
God gives us this duty to protect those who are vulnerable, not purely because this is how a flourishing society works, but because at our core we are image-bearers. Made to reflect God’s character. Isaiah writes in chapter 41:17 :
“The poor and needy search for water, but there is none; their tongues are parched with thirst. But I the Lord will answer them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.”
We are called to serve in this way as we demonstrate Christ’s redeeming love to all who are lost. God made them and is the only one who can truly rescue people from hopelessness. Tamar’s ethos is rooted in the gospel of Jesus Christ that calls us to love, support and share what we can with our neighbours. Jesus did not come to condemn but to give life to the full. For this reason Tamar aim to love the girls as Christ loves them, wholeheartedly. It starts with knowing that there is support available and a rescue plan for those who are trapped, and to know that someone cares deeply about their welfare.
Tamar’s objective is to be a friend to those who want support, to offer non-judgmental and confidential advice, to fight against injustice, and speak up for those who don’t have a voice.
Here are some ways you can prayer for Tamar:
Grace
King
The
Globe Church