Alabaster Jar: Working towards a world free from sexual exploitation
Helping women trapped in prostitution

Trapped in adversity - this is the reality for hundreds of women on the streets of Berlin, who due to tragic circumstances find themselves in prostitution. Many were forced to leave their home countries and find themselves trapped in Berlin’s red light district - a difficult life, especially in winter. According to the motto “hope is warm”, our team offers the warmth of friendship and care - whether it is through a coffee, a warm meal, a conversation, a prayer, or practical support. Our project Alabaster Jar helps women to recognise their worth and receive new perspective for a better future.

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Did you know that an estimated 400,000 women work in Germany’s sex industry, servicing more than 1 million men every day? Did you know studies show that up to 95% of women in prostitution have reported being physically assaulted, and up to 89% have reported wanting to escape the sex industry?

Most women enter into prostitution either by force or due to extreme poverty. Many of the women in Berlin’s sex industry come from Eastern Europe and are the sole providers of their families and/or children back home. Others are sold into slavery as teenagers and grow up on the streets.

Homelessness, drug addiction, financial and sexual exploitation, physical abuse, unprotected sex: these are all issues that these women face on a daily basis. What’s more, they often find themselves totally isolated from society and from any form of supportive community. Believing the lie that they are “born for this life” and that there is no future for them, the vicious cycle continues.

The mission of Alabaster Jar is to see life transformation among women working in Berlin’s sex industry by communicating the love of Christ. In Berlin’s red light district, we meet the women where they are at and provide a safe place for them (e.g. at Café Neustart), where trusting relationships are built and their practical, emotional, and spiritual needs are met.

• Outreach: Outreach is the heart of what we do. During our weekly street and brothel outreaches or our work at Café Neustart in Berlin, our front-line team makes the first contact with the women in their own context. We offer immediate practical assistance, establish long-term needs, and build trust. We refer women to important service providers such as social workers, doctors, and safe houses.

• Befriending: Our team is committed to continuing to build friendship with the women outside of Outreach. Using our Outreach phone, we keep regular contact, pray together, meet for coffee, and accompany women to important appointments.

• Skills Development: We want to see the long-term success and economic independence of each woman, and work hard to make skills development opportunities such as German classes possible.

• Discipleship: We believe that the Gospel of Jesus Christ transforms lives, and we walk alongside the women as they grow deeper in relationship with Jesus. We read the Bible together, organize worship nights, pray together regularly, and even connect women to churches in their home countries.

• Prevention & Awareness: An important aspect to our work is education on the issue of forced prostitution and sex trafficking. Our team has been privileged to speak publicly on this issue, as well as advise businesses on how to best respond to situations involving human trafficking.