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Without her husband, she and her children would be thrust deeper into their cycle of debt and poverty. Without him, her family, neighbours and friends would judge, criticize and sneer. If she left him, she didn’t know how she would possibly survive.

It can be difficult for us to understand why a woman would stay with an abusive husband, why children so willingly obey their parents at the risk of their own lives, or the desperation that makes families so vulnerable to trafficking and exploitation. But confronting human trafficking requires more than just a well-intentioned program – we believe it is necessary to have a deep understanding of the culture on which it so thrives in order to better create policies and initiatives that better protect families and stop exploitation. What are the social circumstances that make the exploitation of vulnerable women and girls in society, and even within the family, acceptable?

The first reason is survival. Many of these families are trapped in already difficult lives of poverty, barely able to scrape by. Reporting the abuse from a husband or father – the family’s breadwinner – will take away a source of income that is so desperately needed.

Second is how Buddhism is often manifested in Cambodia, through “karma” and a woman’s responsibility in the home. The law of karma promotes the belief that the suffering you are enduring is due to wrongs you have committed in your past life. In other words, it is ultimately seen as the victim’s fault that they are being exploited. Victims end up blaming themselves, enduring the violence and abuse.

Women and daughters are pressured to control the “fire in the house” as an act of respect to their parents and husbands. The idea is that to keep harmony in the home, women have to suppress fires of potential conflict relating to the relationships they have with their parents, husbands, and others. They need to take care not to spread the “fires” or make them worse. Fire from outside the house should not be brought inside, and fire from inside the house should not be brought outside.*

A few months ago, one of our Community Heroes learned about two girls in the area that had been brutally abused. One of the girls was 17 years old – four men had raped her. The other girl was only 14 years old. She was sexually assaulted by her father. It is shocking how common this is.

Cambodia has a history of suffering and violence, going back even before the genocide when the Khmer Rouge subjected the population to forced marriage, slave labour and mass execution. The Khmer Rouge tribunal began listening to the stories of those forced into marriages last month. They are excruciating to hear.

How can we help empower Cambodians to shift attitudes about gender violence? While we believe it is vitally important to offer restorative support to survivors of exploitation, it is equally important, on the other hand, to continue the work of other projects that are often less dramatic, but indeed having an equally large impact on individual lives.

The Community Heroes in our Prevention Program may not have superpowers like the popular action figures we see on television, but the influence they have in their communities and the differences they are making is just as great. Our Community Heroes are Cambodian leaders who leverage their influence to raise awareness about different forms of exploitation – domestic violence, sexual abuse, human trafficking and safe migration. By spreading the word, sharing with families and individuals, they are transforming complacency into resistance and resilience. They are using their knowledge to help victims in their community. The two girls who were sexually assaulted are safe today because of help from a Community Hero in their village.

Many parents in Canada are preparing for the first few weeks of school. New routines, new schools, new friends…it can be pretty chaotic! We remind our children to look both ways before crossing the street, not to talk to strangers, to stay focused in school and respect others in the classroom. We recognize the challenges and dangers of normal life and try our best to keep them safe. You can help our Community Heroes do the same – prepare parents and children to protect their families and communities from exploitation. The dangers in Cambodia are frequently much more extreme, but the desire of parents to protect their children is the same. Will you help ensure our Community Heroes can continue protecting families in this next school year?

Help protect the vulnerable from exploitation

Chaya* entered the Ratanak Achievement Program (RAP) Community Home when we first opened its doors. She had been trafficked by a family member – her own grandmother. Chaya was rescued by a partner organization and eventually brought to the RAP Community Home. She was one of the most traumatized and fearful young women I had ever met, and yet there was a strength about her.

While at RAP she attended school, learned how to cook and did her chores. But learning how to make healthy decisions is difficult when you are still healing from a traumatizing and painful past. And her strength made her…well, a challenge. And so, with great patience and much self-discipline, the staff continued to encourage, love and guide her, helping her to reflect on her behaviour and coaching her on her responsibilities as an adult. Slowly but surely, through the many struggles and with her newfound freedom, we started to see traits of leadership and confidence emerge from the shell of the traumatized young woman who first arrived.

Our staff have modeled a tenacious Christ-like love, showing patience and compassion, even when they themselves are hurt by fits of anger and the poor decision-making of those traumatized. It is a process that inevitably must happen as these young women prepare to enter the larger world of Cambodian society, which can be vicious and not in the least understanding of their past. As we see these young women mature, heal, graduate, and live healthy, thriving lives, our hearts are bursting with thankfulness and joy that God has given us the opportunity to be a part of their healing journey.

Chaya graduated in 2013 and our staff have kept in touch, following up with her to make sure she is still safe and healthy. Today, she is married and living with her husband and mother-in-law. She is doing business with her husband and now has two little boys. They have purchased two plots of land and she is planning to buy a home for her family! Needless to say, we are very proud of her!

I hope reading these stories brings you as much joy as it brings me. Often, we are overwhelmed by the circumstances at hand – it can seem so dark as we read shocking reports of human trafficking, abuse and exploitation. I am always encouraged by the passage in Zephaniah, which reminds us that God is in the business of restoring lives. Even those we would deem as hopeless. “Do not fear O Zion, do not let your hands hang limp. The Lord your God is with you. He is mighty to save.” Please continue to pray for our staff and the young women in the RAP Community Home!

Blessings,

Brian McConaghy
Founding Director

 
 
Picture: Chaya with one of the staff members at RAP before performing a traditional Khmer dance

 
As I sit down to write this article, it is August and my kids are in the middle of enjoying their summer break. And yet, much to their chagrin, we are already starting to make a list of their back-to-school needs for this Fall. Pencils, pens, paper, new shoes – the list for their academic success seems endless! At this point though, the development of a list has not yet translated into an actual back-to-school shopping trip. That joyous event was put on hold by my recent trip to Cambodia.

On this trip, I was reminded once again of Cambodia’s beauty. It was the rainy season and the fields outside of Phnom Penh were a wonderful shade of green as the rice crops grew. On several occasions I experienced the frequent heavy rainfall that is so predictable at this time of year. Suffice it to say that when it rains in Cambodia, it really rains! The sky grows eerily dark very quickly with flashes of lighting preparing the way for the heavens to open up and drop a deluge of water while the thunder rolls and echoes through the humid air. As I sat in an outdoor restaurant during one of these ‘rain events’, the physical darkness was a chilling reminder to me of the spiritual darkness that threatens the country. Sadly, there is a long history in Cambodia of exploitation and human trafficking that continues to rob thousands of people of their dignity and freedom. On this trip, I heard about many examples of the profound darkness and the great need present in Cambodia today.

At one of our project sites that I visited, I was struck by a piece of décor that adorned a wall: a giant banner that announced “MERRY CHRISTMAS” in bright, bold lettering! Upon first glance, it seemed like the banner was out of place for early August. But, as I continued to hear more stories about the vast needs of exploited people in Cambodia, I began to realize that the “MERRY CHRISTMAS” banner was not out of place, but rather fully in place. I found myself thinking about a passage in the Bible that is normally reserved for Christmas church services: “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned” (Isaiah 9:6). The key to the Christian faith is contained in this passage: God, in Jesus Christ, stepped into our world, into our darkness, into our mess. God stepped in. And when God steps in, make no mistake: light dawns and hope is born.

During many of my meetings in Cambodia, I heard of great need; the darkness in Cambodia runs deep. I heard stories of women and men caught in the web of human traffickers who are bent on exploiting people for their own selfish gain. Some of the stories I heard were gut-wrenching. But in those meetings, I also heard of powerful, life-changing work; a light continues to dawn in Cambodia! I heard many stories of exploited people being restored and given hope for a life of freedom and dignity. I was reminded of the wonderful prevention work that Ratanak participates in where community leaders are equipped to educate villagers about the dangers of human trafficking. The most exciting part for me was talking with people who are ‘stepping in’ on the front lines and seeing restoration in the lives of so many vulnerable people. As I returned from this trip, I strongly sensed the continuing call for Ratanak to step in – into the darkness and into the complex needs of Cambodia. And I firmly believe that when we step in as followers of Jesus, light continues to dawn and hope continues to be renewed.

So, now that I’m back from Cambodia, it’ll soon be off to the store with my kids and their back-to-school lists! I want to make sure they have what they need to thrive in the new school year. But as the pace of my life quickens with a busy fall schedule, I don’t want to forget my call as a Christian to ‘step in’ to places of darkness with the light and hope of God’s love. So as you get back into the swing of your own post-summer schedule, may we stand together to see Cambodians thriving in dignity and hope. In that spirit, I wish you all a very early “MERRY CHRISTMAS”!

Graeme Illman – Executive Director, Ratanak International
Graeme comes to Ratanak with a background in pastoral ministry and has served congregations in Atlanta, Georgia; Whitby, Ontario; and Coquitlam, BC. He was first exposed to the work of Ratanak through his congregation in Coquitlam that enjoys a long-standing partnership with the organization. Graeme has a heart for cross-cultural ministry and has participated in mission trips to Venezuela, Mexico, Hungary, Nicaragua, Cuba, and Honduras. He brings executive leadership to the Ratanak family in order that hope may be brought to the people of Cambodia. Graeme and his wife have three children.