HISTORY
A VISION FROM CAMBODIAN LEADERS
RAPHA’S BEGINNING
In 2003, Cambodian leaders gathered to address the vulnerability of children in their communities to trafficking and exploitation. Because of their dedication, Rapha International began serving survivors in Cambodia soon after that. Since then, we’ve expanded our work to other parts of Cambodia, Thailand, Haiti, and the United States.
For more than 20 years, thousands of lives have been transformed through Rapha’s mission to end the trafficking and sexual abuse of children — one child, one family, and one community at a time.
OUR VISION FOR RAPHA INTERNATIONAL
MORE THAN A HOUSE
When Rapha International was founded over 20 years ago, our first Survivor Care campus in Battambang, Cambodia was called Rapha House. Rapha means “healing” in Hebrew, and it was the vision of our founders that healing would happen within those walls. Soon, it became evident that the work of Rapha would extend far beyond the walls of that house. Rapha's work with families, in communities, and with national systems is critical in the fight against human trafficking.
Our name was changed to Rapha International to reflect the work we do more clearly.
RAPHA’S TIMELINE
2009 - Rapha began serving survivors of trafficking in Chiang Mai, Thailand and launched our first Prevention program in Phnom Penh.
2014 - Rapha established survivor care services in Haiti and opened our Prevention program in Mae Sot, Thailand.
2020 - Rapha’s Hope & Healing Center in Joplin, Missouri was opened.
2024 - Rapha began providing counselling services to families in our Prevention program in Cambodia and opened the TTF Protection Center in Thailand.
2025 - Rapha opened the Special Needs Day Program in Battambang, Cambodia.
RAPHA’S MOTIVATION
Rapha International is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit working to end the trafficking and sexual abuse of children through holistic care for survivors, prevention services for vulnerable children, and support for families and communities.
We are a faith-based organization that takes seriously the Scripture that reads, “Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and with truth (1 John 3:18).” It is with compassion energized and sustained by love that we act on behalf of vulnerable children.
