Budapest, Hungary
Door of Hope is an anti-trafficking project and nonprofit business with its home base in Budapest, Hungary.
In the industry of prostitution, the most vulnerable people in society are exploited and human traffickers thrive. In Europe, 90% of prostituted people are women and girls — and an estimated 75% of them are between the ages of 13 and 25 years old. (Source: Brussel’s Call: Her Future is Equal)
In terms of its number of sex trafficking victims, the nation of Hungary ranks third in Europe. In fact, one out of every five victims of prostitution in Europe is Hungarian. (Source: Nordic Model Now!)
Door of Hope’s vision is to open a door of hope to women in crisis: to fight for the freedom & restoration of women impacted by sexual exploitation and to develop resources & systems that sustain life transformation and multiply radical hope.
Grace Beauty Salon is one of their first projects: a salon in one of Budapest’s more vulnerable areas. Grace is more than just a place of business, it is a safe place and a place of encounter for women in need. The vision is to use beauty & cosmetology to uplift and equip women to take brave steps into a new life. In addition, the salon serves as a place of encounter and relationship where clients can seek practical help, resources, or apply to receive mentoring & scholarships.
Meet the Team:
Emily La Bianca is the founder & director of Door of Hope. She served for seven years in Berlin, Germany with an anti-trafficking outreach project, including two and a half years as project leader. During that time she met hundreds of Central & Eastern European women trapped in Berlin’s red light district & brothels. Her heart burns to see a mass exodus of women out of sexual exploitation and into freedom.
Katja Billinger serves on the Door of Hope team and works at Grace Beauty Salon as a beautician. Coming from a background of crime, violence, and drugs, Katja has a heart for people who come from broken backgrounds to encounter radical hope and transformation.