Life After Trafficking for Girls in Cambodia

“I never thought that I could come back to Cambodia. I lost everything.”

These same words echoed through the hearts of each and every young woman who was referred to HAGAR’s care at the Home of Love.

For all of them, beneath their clothing were severe cuts and burns inflicted by the traffickers, when we first met them. The scars on their bodies is a daily reminder of the trauma and abuse that they had suffered. They arrived at HAGAR’s community-based emergency shelter with only the clothes they wore; they had no ID card, no passport, no personal belongings.

Amongst them was 21-year-old Channa. She was born in a poor family in Stung Treng province, which is located near the Cambodia and Laos border. Deceived by a broker who promised her a job in China that would pay her a monthly salary of $400-$500 USD, Channa was instead sold to China as a bride. She was only 18 then.

Home of Love

Since mid-2021, we have received into the Home of Love more than 100 young Cambodian girls rescued from trafficking. Referred to HAGAR by the Department of Anti-Human Trafficking unit from the Cambodia Government’s Ministry of Social Affairs, Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation (MoSVY), these young women were trafficked to China, Malaysia and other neighbouring countries. For some of them who sought help from the local authorities, they were mistaken as illegal immigrants and were thrown into jail instead. Severely ill-treated in prison, they were released back to the Cambodia authorities only after 3-6 months.

For Channa, though she could not see her mother for the last time before her passing, we managed to help her reunite with her aunt. “I am so happy to see my niece come back safely. I am really thankful to HAGAR’s team and the authorities for bringing my niece back home. I didn’t think that my niece was still alive and thought I had lost her forever,” said Channa’s aunt with tears in her eyes.

With HAGAR’s support, Channa is now running a small business selling soft drinks and sugar cane juice in her community. She is so successful that she’s even expanded her business to sell groceries.

“I am so thankful for the support that Hagar has giving me, to stand up and to have hope. My small business that supported by Hagar has helped me to become a strong person. I can make more income for my living and no longer be cheated again. I am happy with this business and I will expand it bigger for my better future life,” Channa said with strong confidence.

HAGAR remains committed to serving the vulnerable women and children in this country and is actively working with the local authorities to improve victim care, protection and identification efforts, as well as educating the local community to prevent human trafficking and exploitation.

Hagar pursues the highest degree of care and protection for each of its clients. To protect the identity of our clients, names have been changed and images do not necessarily represent the individual profiled.