The Power of Prevention
Poverty, desperation, survival. Our circumstances sometimes compel us to make decisions we never imagined we would make. In Cambodia, young men and women are sold or tricked into modern day slavery through false employment in other countries. The results can be sex slavery, domestic servitude, labour trafficking or a host of other forms of exploitation. Desperate to believe that this is the solution to all their problems – their chance at breaking the cycle of poverty they are trapped in, they believe in a lie disguised as a dream come true.
That’s why your support not only helps survivors of exploitation, nurturing love and empowering them to thrive, but also addressing the root issue – and preventing trafficking from even happening in the first place. The Prevention Program does just that, by training leaders in each community who teach villagers about human trafficking, domestic violence and safe migration.
They answer questions like “Why is human trafficking wrong?” “What are the signs of a trafficker?” and “What should you do if you or someone you know is being trafficked?”
In the past 4 months, our “Community Heroes” have trained 3,816 villagers! They also hand out thousands of help cards with our emergency number so they know who to call if they spot a trafficker or someone being trafficked.
Through these help cards, we’ve been able to protect and bring to safety victims of human trafficking.
To help her mom and dad support the family, Chea worked as a housemaid and as a waitress in a nearby restaurant. Her family didn’t have much. When someone in her village spoke highly of a job in China, she agreed thinking that she would be able to provide more for her parents. Before leaving, she went to Phnom Penh to get a passport and happened to meet a couple who had lost their daughter – she had been sold and trafficked. The circumstances were strikingly similar. The couple called our emergency number for her and she was brought to the RAP home temporarily. She never left the country. Today, she is safe and receiving training to run her own beauty salon.
What an amazing position we have been blessed with to be able to protect Cambodians from being trafficked!
Help protect more Cambodians from trafficking through your year-end gift!