Pearl of Persia

Restoring the Broken. Rebuilding the Family.

Pearl of Persia exists to reach the most broken in Iran with the love and power of the gospel—bringing healing, restoration and transformation to those trapped in addiction, abuse and exploitation.

Many Iranians live under deep social, emotional, and spiritual pressures that have eroded hope, dignity and family life. Women and men alike carry unseen burdens—addiction, trauma, isolation, and despair—that often remain unspoken. Pearl seeks to stand alongside those who feel they have lost their voice, offering compassion, truth and the promise of renewal found in Christ.

The Crisis We Cannot Ignore

Although Iran is experiencing remarkable spiritual hunger, largescale revival and church growth, millions are trapped in devastating cycles of trauma, addiction and abuse—living in hopeless circumstances with little access to real help. The Church is not yet equipped to respond to the depth and scale of this crisis.

If we want to see Iran transformed, we cannot ignore the broken.

A Nation in Deep Brokenness

This is not a marginal issue. It is a national crisis affecting families, women and children across every level of society.

Prostitution, abuse, addiction and depression are interwoven into families and marriages. They have penetrated the fabric of the family and are destroying lives regardless of education or social standing.

Iran’s Welfare Organization AIDS Research Center claims that 50% of women in prostitution are housewives. Thousands of girls between the ages of 5 and 14 are forced into marriage each year, with pregnancies reported as young as 10—creating a growing population of divorced and destitute young girls. In Ahvaz, reports indicate that between one and three girls under 15 are married every day. According to the Head of the Women’s Committee in the Governorate of Ahvaz (Pooneh Pilram): “When families cannot provide for their children, they first get rid of their daughter.”

The Scale of the Crisis

There are no reliable statistics on the numbers affected, but the various studies done paint a devastating picture of a broken people:

• Over 1 million women and girls are trapped in prostitution—some from as young as 12

• ‘Sighe’ temporary marriages legalize abuse for girls of any age
• Child marriage affects 1 in 5 marriages, with girls as young as five
• Hundreds of babies are born to mothers aged 10–14 each year
• Around 700,000 children in forced labor, plus 100,000 abandoned on the streets
• More than 4.4 million Iranians are affected by drug addiction
• 18–22 million suffer from mental health or developmental disorders, especially depression and anxiety disorder
• Suicide rates have risen by 44% in 20 years with 15 suicides per day, mostly 15-35 year olds (attempted suicides around 20 times more)

Iranians are a deeply traumatized people in need of hope and healing. Behind every number is a life marked by trauma, shame and hopelessness.

In 2021 Iran’s Minister of Health announced that 25% of Iranians are clinically depressed. On September 3 2023, Ahmad Jalili, the head of the Iranian Psychiatric Association, stated that, “according to conducted research, the rate of depression among citizens living in Tehran is close to 34 percent.”

Read the devastating reality of prostitution, underage marriages and addiction in Iran

The Deeper Issue: A Crisis of the Family

This is not just about individuals. Prostitution, addiction, abuse and depression are tearing apart the fabric of the family in Iran. Many women in prostitution are married. Young girls are forced into early marriage and abandonment. Trauma is passed from one generation to the next.

Without intervention, the cycle continues. Pearl exists to break that cycle.

How Pearl of Persia Brings Transformation

Pearl of Persia brings a message of hope, specialist counseling and practical support for those seeking freedom from addiction and self-destruction. At its heart, the mission is to restore the family.

Pearl of Persia was created to equip the Church in Iran to respond with both truth and compassion—meeting people at their deepest point of need and walking with them toward freedom. This includes those encountering Jesus for the first time as a way out of hopelessness, as well as believers who still need support to experience true healing from the trauma of their past. Pearl provides a safe space for honest conversations about deeply rooted struggles, including identity, past wounds, and family brokenness, always with the goal of healing and restoration. At the heart of this work is a desire to see lives rebuilt, families restored and hope reclaimed through the love of Jesus.

Through Pearl, individuals:

• Encounter Jesus in a personal, life-changing way
• Receive one-to-one counseling for trauma, addiction and abuse
• Break destructive cycles and rebuild their identity
• Gain practical skills to restore dignity, stability and independence
• Rebuild their lives and begin restoring marriages, families and communities

This is not just about rescue. It is about lasting transformation.

Read how a ‘Pearl of Persia’ Social Media post saved a marriage and led a couple to salvation

It is time for the Church to show a better way, to restore Iran’s youth, and redeem the integrity of the family unit in Iran. We share the good news in a way that will speak directly to this sector of society, we offer specialist counseling and support in practical ways.

We believe:

• The most broken can be fully restored
• The Church can be equipped to respond effectively
• Families can be rebuilt
• Iran can be transformed through the power of the gospel

Be Part of the Restoration

This work is urgent—and it is growing.

Your support helps:

• Provide counseling to those in crisis
• Equip believers to minister effectively
• Reach the most hidden and vulnerable
• Restore families and rebuild lives

Give today and help bring healing to Iran

A Life Transformed

One woman discovered Pearl through a TV program. What followed changed everything. She gave her life to Jesus, received one-on-one counseling, found healing and freedom from her past. She built a successful business and began sharing her faith with others. Even after imprisonment and losing everything, she continues her journey of healing—with ongoing support from Pearl.

Today, she dreams of helping other women find the same freedom.

How can I tell my story in a few words? I experienced horrific abuse through my childhood. As a result of that, I ended up in relationships with many men (including sighe). I was caught up in a cycle of stealing, lying and more. One day I was searching TV channels and I found Pearl of Persia’s programs. I called and spoke to a counselor. She explained many things to me. I gave my life to Jesus, received 1:1 counselling from the Pearl of Persia counselor and I found my freedom again. With encouragement from my counselor, I learnt about skincare and jewelry making and started my own business. I could not contain the joy of what Jesus had done for me. I started witnessing to those around me. By this point I had grown a successful business and started helping others. The government saw this and arrested me. They jailed me for my evangelism and took my business away. After my release, I fled to Turkey. This was 4 years ago. I am now in Istanbul. Transform Iran has stood by my side through all these years. They have helped me with housing and I am receiving counseling and healing for the trauma of all the years before. I would love to work full time for Pearl of Persia and help others like me, mentoring women in setting up their own businesses.