What do you think?
Rate this book
This is No Ordinary Joy
When I discovered that human trafficking and slavery were destroying the lives of millions of young girls worldwide, I had to take action. My journey has taken me to some of the darkest places on the face of the earth, and brought me into contact with the most depraved elements of humanity, as well as the most courageous and beautiful.
Along the way, I’ve spent long hours sitting on the dirt floors of shelters and red light districts, I have feared for my life, scattered my wallets, keys and other belongings across South Asia, met heroes in the most unlikely places, re-envisioned my marriage, flirted with despair, and helped thousands of survivors rebuild their lives.
I’ve learned you don’t have to be a saint or a special person to radically impact the world. You don’t need a lot of money, exceptional skills, or a particular degree. You just need a lot of hope, patience, and a strong stomach for disappointment, mishap, fear, and some truly awkward situations. The rewards for going ‘All In’ for people in need are enormous.
My story began on the worst day of my life - my mother’s birthday five months after her sudden death from cancer. My profound grief, daily chats with dead loved ones, and one incident of outrageous fortune led me to the Tribeca film festival, where I learned about human trafficking through a documentary film.
From that moment on, my life would never be the same. I traveled to Nepal where I learned of an urgent need: to provide high quality jobs and education for slavery survivors so they could rebuild their lives and rejoin society. Because trafficking and slavery thrive in places of desperate poverty, it was essential to provide economic opportunities, particularly for women.
I launched Made by Survivors, an international charity, to address that need. Launching the charity cost me my house and life savings, and at times nearly my sanity. It strained my marriage and forced me and my husband to learn new ways of living and working together. I could not have imagined at the outset of this adventure how completely it would change our family’s life. In my darkest moments, I thought about giving up, but was bolstered time and again by the support of the community of love which has built up around this work.
I’ve been blessed and supported most powerfully by the survivors themselves, who challenge me every day to match their energy and commitment. The joy that these girls – finally freed from slavery and given love and opportunity – are able to express is transcendent.
In addition to my story, I share survivors’ stories– girls like Anita, living with AIDS, who works in a modern-day Underground Railroad, or Asha, an eleven-year old who thought a banana was a kind of potato, because she spent her whole life enslaved in a carpet factory.
I write honestly about my struggles and flaws. I’m no Mother Teresa! I live with the conflicting demands of career and motherhood. I worry about the suffering of the world’s children and how to be as effective as possible. I fret about finances for my charity and my family, trying to live simply, despite my love of fine wine, jeans that flatter my butt, and gourmet food. I’m untidy, forgetful, opinionated and slightly overweight. I avoid conflict - with disastrous results. I anguish over decisions. I’m working on being less judgmental.
Many people are looking for deeper meaning in their lives. This book is for anyone who has ever wondered ‘Is this all there is? Is this really the best I could be doing with my life?’
The hope and courage of my survivors keeps me going despite all the struggles and my own human failings, and I hope that readers will be equally inspired by these girls’ refusal to give up, even after surviving the worst that life can bring, and challenged to examine their own life mission and world-healing potential.
Along the way, I’ve spent long hours sitting on the dirt floors of shelters and red light districts, I have feared for my life, scattered my wallets, keys and other belongings across South Asia, met heroes in the most unlikely places, re-envisioned my marriage, flirted with despair, and helped thousands of survivors rebuild their lives.
I’ve learned you don’t have to be a saint or a special person to radically impact the world. You don’t need a lot of money, exceptional skills, or a particular degree. You just need a lot of hope, patience, and a strong stomach for disappointment, mishap, fear, and some truly awkward situations. The rewards for going ‘All In’ for people in need are enormous.
My story began on the worst day of my life - my mother’s birthday five months after her sudden death from cancer. My profound grief, daily chats with dead loved ones, and one incident of outrageous fortune led me to the Tribeca film festival, where I learned about human trafficking through a documentary film.
From that moment on, my life would never be the same. I traveled to Nepal where I learned of an urgent need: to provide high quality jobs and education for slavery survivors so they could rebuild their lives and rejoin society. Because trafficking and slavery thrive in places of desperate poverty, it was essential to provide economic opportunities, particularly for women.
I launched Made by Survivors, an international charity, to address that need. Launching the charity cost me my house and life savings, and at times nearly my sanity. It strained my marriage and forced me and my husband to learn new ways of living and working together. I could not have imagined at the outset of this adventure how completely it would change our family’s life. In my darkest moments, I thought about giving up, but was bolstered time and again by the support of the community of love which has built up around this work.
I’ve been blessed and supported most powerfully by the survivors themselves, who challenge me every day to match their energy and commitment. The joy that these girls – finally freed from slavery and given love and opportunity – are able to express is transcendent.
In addition to my story, I share survivors’ stories– girls like Anita, living with AIDS, who works in a modern-day Underground Railroad, or Asha, an eleven-year old who thought a banana was a kind of potato, because she spent her whole life enslaved in a carpet factory.
I write honestly about my struggles and flaws. I’m no Mother Teresa! I live with the conflicting demands of career and motherhood. I worry about the suffering of the world’s children and how to be as effective as possible. I fret about finances for my charity and my family, trying to live simply, despite my love of fine wine, jeans that flatter my butt, and gourmet food. I’m untidy, forgetful, opinionated and slightly overweight. I avoid conflict - with disastrous results. I anguish over decisions. I’m working on being less judgmental.
Many people are looking for deeper meaning in their lives. This book is for anyone who has ever wondered ‘Is this all there is? Is this really the best I could be doing with my life?’
The hope and courage of my survivors keeps me going despite all the struggles and my own human failings, and I hope that readers will be equally inspired by these girls’ refusal to give up, even after surviving the worst that life can bring, and challenged to examine their own life mission and world-healing potential.
- GenresMemoir
251 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 1, 2013
4 people are currently reading
41 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
January 15, 2024
Such an incredible recounting of how Sarah Syomns began her journey toward combating modern day slavery in Nepal, India, and greater South Asia. I am truly inspired by her work and hope to one day use some of the skills and insight I’ve learned from her story in my own journey toward fighting human trafficking.
September 21, 2013
Review first published on my blog: http://memoriesfrombooks.blogspot.com...
In her own words, Sarah Symons is "a regular, opinionated, slightly frazzled mother of two trying to make a difference in a complex global problem." She is also the founder of Made By Survivors - an organization that seeks to empower survivors of the human trafficking trade by providing them a means to become economically independent.
In 2002, Sarah Symons attended the Tribeca Film Festival as one of her songs was used in one of the movies. At the festival, she saw the movie The Day My God Died, a documentary about the sex trafficking trade in Nepal and India. It affected her to a degree that she contacted and began volunteering for one of the organizations mentioned in the movie. Her work involved trips to that region where she met and worked with volunteers and survivors.
It was on one of her trips that the idea of selling survivor made goods began. The idea was to provide a market for these goods in the United States and beyond and enable economic independence for these survivors. The work continues today. This book tells the story of Sarah Symons' journey and her work.
I have a great deal of respect for all those working to resolve this global issue. However, this book was difficult for me to read. It appears to have a dichotomy between descriptions of Ms. Symons' work and descriptions of her personal experience on her trips. The stories of the survivors are heart wrenching and chilling. The stories of the work being done to help these women are educational and inspirational. The personal snippets of whether or not to pack flip flops, lost luggage, gastric distress, and getting her period seem trivial in comparison. They serve as a jarring and distracting note in the book.
Regardless of my reaction to the book, I have bookmarked the website (Made By Survivors) and will likely order the beautiful items they sell.
*** Reviewed based on a galley received from the publisher through NetGalley ***
In her own words, Sarah Symons is "a regular, opinionated, slightly frazzled mother of two trying to make a difference in a complex global problem." She is also the founder of Made By Survivors - an organization that seeks to empower survivors of the human trafficking trade by providing them a means to become economically independent.
In 2002, Sarah Symons attended the Tribeca Film Festival as one of her songs was used in one of the movies. At the festival, she saw the movie The Day My God Died, a documentary about the sex trafficking trade in Nepal and India. It affected her to a degree that she contacted and began volunteering for one of the organizations mentioned in the movie. Her work involved trips to that region where she met and worked with volunteers and survivors.
It was on one of her trips that the idea of selling survivor made goods began. The idea was to provide a market for these goods in the United States and beyond and enable economic independence for these survivors. The work continues today. This book tells the story of Sarah Symons' journey and her work.
I have a great deal of respect for all those working to resolve this global issue. However, this book was difficult for me to read. It appears to have a dichotomy between descriptions of Ms. Symons' work and descriptions of her personal experience on her trips. The stories of the survivors are heart wrenching and chilling. The stories of the work being done to help these women are educational and inspirational. The personal snippets of whether or not to pack flip flops, lost luggage, gastric distress, and getting her period seem trivial in comparison. They serve as a jarring and distracting note in the book.
Regardless of my reaction to the book, I have bookmarked the website (Made By Survivors) and will likely order the beautiful items they sell.
*** Reviewed based on a galley received from the publisher through NetGalley ***
January 12, 2015
For over ten years, Sarah has run charities that help women and children who are survivors of human trafficking and slavery in third world countries. Her current group, Made by Survivors, has schools and shelters that offer education and employment skills and help the survivors to start their own businesses. Sarah describes the horrific conditions in India, Thailand and other third world countries where human trafficking, slavery and abuse of women and children is a normal and accepted part of life. She describes the courage of the survivors and the joy that she receives from helping them to gain a safer environment, education and employment. her work and that of others is very important and should be supported. Sarah also tells about events and struggles in her business and personal life.
In the US, we were horrified and outraged to learn that Ariel Castro held three women hostage in his home and abused them for ten years, but most people do not realize and do nothing about the millions of women and children who are enslaved, trafficked and abused on a daily basis throughout the world. I hope that this book brings more attention to these issues and draws more support for human rights groups.
In the US, we were horrified and outraged to learn that Ariel Castro held three women hostage in his home and abused them for ten years, but most people do not realize and do nothing about the millions of women and children who are enslaved, trafficked and abused on a daily basis throughout the world. I hope that this book brings more attention to these issues and draws more support for human rights groups.
April 15, 2019
3.5 stars.
Sarah Symons created Made by Survivors, now called "Her Future" (though the book is already outdated about that information, since the change is newer). I have known of this organization since I first heard about human trafficking in 2007. She was certainly one of the pioneers of ethical fair trade practices of helping survivors by providing skills and crafts in order to sustain them in their own businesses.
This book talks about the life of Sarah during the time of when she first found out about human trafficking, how she started working on her business model. She is pretty open about her failures and her own attitude being a bit negative at times and how she learned so much throughout the process. I definitely enjoyed learning about her life and her family and some of th estories of those who have made many creations over the years. It was lovely.
Sarah Symons created Made by Survivors, now called "Her Future" (though the book is already outdated about that information, since the change is newer). I have known of this organization since I first heard about human trafficking in 2007. She was certainly one of the pioneers of ethical fair trade practices of helping survivors by providing skills and crafts in order to sustain them in their own businesses.
This book talks about the life of Sarah during the time of when she first found out about human trafficking, how she started working on her business model. She is pretty open about her failures and her own attitude being a bit negative at times and how she learned so much throughout the process. I definitely enjoyed learning about her life and her family and some of th estories of those who have made many creations over the years. It was lovely.
November 17, 2015
Symons presents a very honest and frank recollection of her journey of starting and running an international non-profit. Made By Survivors, is an excellent organization and I have worked with and supported them in the past, which made me eager to read this book.
I was a tad disappointed at its simplicity and how it approaches the topic of poverty and globalization (in the sense that it mentions it hardly at all.) Nor does this book really take a hard look at root causes to human trafficking. But I really love how the success of this organization came from Symons listening to survivors - they said they needed jobs & opportunity. And she listened. And what's even more inspiring is that she continued to listen.
However, the simple writing focuses more on big events, memories, and recollections more than it serves as any sort of chronological or informative way to help or start your own non-profit - it is more about Symon's very personalized story on how she achieved it. It is a quick and inspirational read, and I recommend anyone who has supported MBS or Symon's partner organizations read it, if nothing else for a good look into what goes on behind the scenes.
Way to go Mrs. Symons, in the dark ugly world of NGO's MBS is a wonderful organization.
I was a tad disappointed at its simplicity and how it approaches the topic of poverty and globalization (in the sense that it mentions it hardly at all.) Nor does this book really take a hard look at root causes to human trafficking. But I really love how the success of this organization came from Symons listening to survivors - they said they needed jobs & opportunity. And she listened. And what's even more inspiring is that she continued to listen.
However, the simple writing focuses more on big events, memories, and recollections more than it serves as any sort of chronological or informative way to help or start your own non-profit - it is more about Symon's very personalized story on how she achieved it. It is a quick and inspirational read, and I recommend anyone who has supported MBS or Symon's partner organizations read it, if nothing else for a good look into what goes on behind the scenes.
Way to go Mrs. Symons, in the dark ugly world of NGO's MBS is a wonderful organization.
November 16, 2013
I got this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for my truthful opinion. I did enjoy reading about Sarah Symonds' work in Asia helping girls and women from human trafficking, particularly in India and Nepal. I thought at 250 pages hat this book would be relatively a quick read, but due to the subject matter, human trafficking, particularly sexual slavery of girls and young women, it wasn't quite the quick read I expected. But Sarah Symonds does write in way, so it tells more of a story and not just provide facts and statistics.
Although I know this is an ARC (advanced Readers Copy) and may not be properly proofread and edited, the paperback version did come out in May 2013 and the Kindle version came out in June 2013 and therefore I hope all the necessary edits were made. Had this book not already been published, I would give the benefit of the doubt.
Although I know this is an ARC (advanced Readers Copy) and may not be properly proofread and edited, the paperback version did come out in May 2013 and the Kindle version came out in June 2013 and therefore I hope all the necessary edits were made. Had this book not already been published, I would give the benefit of the doubt.
October 22, 2013
Inspiring, challenging and motivating. Sarah is a personal hero of mine for the work she has given her all to...and I am grateful to read this quite intimate story of many of the ups and downs of her journey so far!. Thank you Sarah, for bringing us closer to the girls and the reasons why we all need to come together more to create the more compassionate and free world we want to see. <3
July 3, 2013
This is a wonderfully written story about such a powerfully intimate pandemic; I applaud Sarah's efforts as well as all of her team of volunteers and survivors. I encourage anyone to read this story and to realize it just takes one person to make a difference.
July 17, 2013
I love that Sarah put her story on paper to share with the rest of the world. If only we could all be half as brave as her...the world would be a better place. Well-written, with honesty and humility.
June 26, 2013
Powerful story of a woman who felt led to change her life, and the lives of others.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews