Coming Home
She was finally allowing herself to dream. At 22 years old, it seemed like her dreams could actually become reality. She could leave behind the rice fields, the poverty, and the daily struggles for food. The friendly lady who had come to visit talked about a job – a real city job! Everyday, she saw how the heavy burdens of life weighed down her weary mother. She wanted to help, and this seemed like the perfect way. The lady said the salary would be high. They would cover all her traveling expenses, her visa, and insurance. She could also talk to her family whenever she wanted. It sounded like she would be well taken care of. She agreed, as did her mom. She boarded a plane for the first time in her life. Her heart wouldn’t stop pounding. Would her employers be nice? Would she like working in the city? “Of course she would!” she assured herself. Besides, she would finally have the chance to work in the city! But when she arrived, something didn’t seem right. They took away her passport “for safekeeping”. Then they introduced her to an old man. Her employer, she assumed. But he would be more than that. He would be her husband. She was alone and trapped, with no way home.
Unfortunately, this story (based on true events) is all too common. More and more young adults are moving away from their villages in search of jobs. It starts with a simple conversation; a seed of possibility planted by a neighbour, a friend, a random stranger met on the way to the market, or even a family member. Traffickers feed on desperation and naivety. Our Community Hero – Prevention Program seeks to create change by teaching entire villages about the dangers of believing false promises made by these traffickers. The program distributes thousands of emergency call cards, which offer hotline numbers for victims to reach out to for help. The hotline has received calls not only from Cambodia, but also from countries all over the world. But even once they reach out for help, it can be difficult to bring victims home. Our latest program seeks to respond to these pleas for help. We are working together with UN agencies that also support the repatriation of trafficking survivors, as well as an NGO in Cambodia called Chab Dai, to help Cambodians who have been trafficked overseas. This new repatriation program seeks to support victims of exploitation by :
Training local police and authorities on how to effectively intervene and rescue victims
Collaborating with other NGOs, embassies and international law enforcement to bring trafficked Cambodians home
Extending a hand of compassion through emotional and legal counseling to help repatriated survivors
who have experienced trauma, and their families
Anti-Trafficking Police apprehend and detain two traffickers.
This program is about recovering Cambodians who are lost, sold, shamed and marginalized – Cambodians who feel like there is no hope for them. In the process, we have the opportunity to demonstrate God’s love for them, and often bring them home to a God who deeply cares for them. It reminds us of the beautiful promise God gives the Israelites in Zephaniah 3:20, “At that time I will gather you; at that time I will bring you home.” We love how collaboration is central to this program. It isn’t about one organization. It’s about working together with law enforcement, governments, other NGOs and being a Christian influence at such tables. By playing to one another’s strengths, we can more effectively create long-lasting change. This increased cooperation with the Anti-Trafficking Police has been nothing short of miraculous. We are building bridges with an infamous police force that is often despised as corrupt, and we are seeing progress! By recognizing their strengths and working together, they get to participate with us in blessing their country. Since January, seven brokers have been arrested and are awaiting trial!
We have been working in Cambodia for 25 years, thus we have been given the unique opportunity to build trusted relationships with police and law enforcement. The Police General personally wrote Brian, our Executive Director, an email a while ago in association with a police case: “My Dear Brother,” he writes, “I would also like to take this opportunity to thank you profoundly on behalf of the Cambodian people, the victims and their families, and as well as the Cambodian law enforcement for your firm commitment and great dedication to continuing working hard for the best interests of the Cambodian people, especially young children who are very vulnerable to sexual exploitation and those who easily fall prey to child predators, both locals and foreigners alike.” How amazing it is that we can work together with them for hope!
Thankfully, there’s more to the story of the girl that was sold for marriage: The young woman, already overseas, refused to marry the old man. As she came to the realization that she was being sold, she suddenly remembered the help card stuck onto the wall of her home in Cambodia. Her younger brother had received it at a trafficking awareness class at his school. She managed to call home and asked her father to call the hotline. Project staff worked together with the Anti-Trafficking Police to arrest the traffickers, and they are now in the process of bringing the young woman home. Hope changes the story – thank you for being a part of that story! Please pray for this program and for the many Cambodians who are trapped all around the world. Pray that God will open up doors as we seek to work together with government officials to bring them back home and be a witness to all in the process.