Anna Sander had encountered prostitution in Amsterdam's red light district, Josephine Appelqvist on the streets of Manila in the Philippines. Their paths crossed in Stockholm a few years later. United in the same commitment and heart for women, they chose to start Talita.
We at Talita have been involved for many years in work aimed at supporting and helping women and children who have been exploited in prostitution. For four years (1998–2002), we worked together on outreach social work among women in prostitution in Stockholm (the Bus Project). The Bus Project was run by a church. Through this work, we came into contact with about a hundred women struggling with substance abuse and/or prostitution.
In addition to the immediate support the Bus Project could offer in the form of a meeting place in the heart of the city every Friday night, as well as community, warmth, food, and clothing, we also had the opportunity to refer people with substance abuse problems to various treatment options. The help we could offer women in prostitution who did not have a drug addiction, however, was very limited, as there was no housing with rehabilitation or exit programs to refer them to. It was with the aim of better supporting this group that we started Talita in 2004.
It wasn’t until 2012 that we were able to open our shelter, Villa Talita. Prior to that, we had been receiving women for trauma therapy at the Talita Center and had tried to provide as much support as we could given our circumstances. Today, in addition to its operations in Stockholm, Talita also runs similar programs in Mongolia, Romania, the Philippines, Kenya, and Colombia.
When we started the organization in 2004, it was because we saw a vulnerable group - women in prostitution - that society was not doing enough to help. Since we are Christians ourselves, it was natural for us to base the organization on a Christian foundation.
Everyone who turns to us has the right to know that our holistic approach means that we believe that people not only have basic needs of a physical, material, psychological, social and intellectual nature, but also of a spiritual/existential nature. Especially the foreign women who come to us express that it means a lot to them that we understand their world view and can meet their existential questions. An overwhelming majority of them come from societies and cultures where belief in the existence of God is central.
By Christian foundation we mean:
- That every human being is worthy of love and is treated with interest, respect, consideration and without prejudice.
- That every human being has a free will that must be protected, listened to and respected.
- That every human being is created with a unique purpose.
Our core values are about reaching out to those who need it most. We believe that the biggest problem in the world today is that we humans love too little and judge too much. We are convinced that God’s love is unconditional, and we strive to communicate that love through everything we do. Blaming or condemning individuals goes completely against our values.
Talita’s approach contains no religious elements, but we offer optional meetings featuring discussions about faith and Bible studies. The organization is not affiliated with any church, and we are naturally open to different worldviews. We welcome everyone who falls within our target group, regardless of ethnic background, social status, religion, sexual orientation, or political views. Our desire is to create a safe place where vulnerable people feel welcome and where new hope can be born.
Below is a brief summary of our vision
and our mission:
Talita means “little girl” and is taken from a story in the Bible where Jesus stands at a girl’s deathbed and says, “Little girl, I say to you, get up” (talita koum), and the girl rises.
Our vision is for the women and children we meet to rise up to a new life. Talita’s motto is to see the whole person, to help her all the way, no matter where in the world she has been victimized and regardless of whether someone pays for her place with us or not.
- Human trafficking is a modern-day form of slavery.
- Prostitution is a form of men's violence against women/children.
- Pornography is documented prostitution.
Talita's mission is to combat sex trafficking in all its forms through prevention, outreach and rehabilitation.
Talita is a small organization with a fantastic team. These individuals make up our staff in Sweden, as well as—a little further down the page—our operations managers abroad.
Founder, trauma therapist and licensed pharmacist with experience in professional development and training activities.
Founder, trauma therapist and lawyer with a focus on human rights and experience working against child sex trafficking.
Responsible for the accommodation Lilla Talita. Also leads Talita's outreach activities. Has personal experience of prostitution and has completed Talita's program.
Administrator and responsible for planning with clients in detention. Has previous experience in client work in Romania. Speaks fluent Romanian.
Visual communicator and webmaster. Practical all-rounder in our accommodation.
Responsible for the accommodation Villa Talita. Previously long experience of working in social services with a particular focus on children and families in vulnerable situations.
Responsible for planning with program clients and founder & operations manager of Talita Mongolia. Trained trauma therapist and English and Russian teacher.
Director of Research and Prevention. Expert on pornography and Chair of CAP International.
Here we introduce Talita’s Board of Directors.
Year of birth: 1972 | City: Stockholm
Biomedical Analyst
Previous work experience: Biomedical analyst at Fysiologlab, St. Göran’s Hospital, and Aleris/Ersta Hospital
Experience: Jennie has been a member of Talita since its founding in 2004 and has also volunteered with the organization at numerous conferences and events. Throughout her professional career, she has worked in healthcare and social services and has extensive experience in supporting people (including adults, children, and young people) in difficult situations. She is also active in the Civil Defense, Stockholm Emergency Response Team.
Year of birth: 1979 | Location: Stockholm
Founder and CEO of the cleaning company Himlarent AB (
)
Previous work experience: Self-employed
Expertise: Through his company, Himlarent AB, Simon has become an integral part of Talita’s integration efforts. Simon’s entrepreneurial spirit, his expertise in business, and above all, his compassion for vulnerable people greatly enrich the work of the board.
Year of birth: 1982 | City: Stockholm
Assessment Dentist, Gothenburg Region
Previous work experience: General dentist in both the public dental care system and private dental practice. Care assistant at a residential care facility and in home care services
Skills: Robert has many years of experience participating in and contributing to volunteer efforts among vulnerable groups in society. Since 2015, he has contributed to Talita’s work as a volunteer, including by providing free dental care to Talita’s clients.
Year of birth: 1974 | Location: Stockholm
Founder Talita
Previous professional experience: trauma therapist and licensed pharmacist with experience in professional development and educational activities.
Experience: Co-founded Talita with Josephine more than 20 years ago.
Year of birth: 1972 | City: Stockholm
Founder Talita
Previous professional experience: trauma therapist and lawyer specializing in human rights, with experience working to combat child sex trafficking.
Experience: Co-founded Talita with Anna more than 20 years ago.
Head of operations for Talita center in Cebu, Philippines
Head of Operations for Maisha Talita in Nairobi, Kenya
Head of Operations in our partner organization FREE, Bucharest Romania
Manager of Talita Asia, Ulaan Baatar, Mongolia.
