TRAFFICKED VICTIM’s STORY

‘P’s neighbour persuaded his father to send him to work in Vietnam, promising his family $30.00, new clothes and glasses for ‘P’. His very poor family decided that it was a good opportunity for a disabled boy person to earn a high income. ’P’ was taken in the middle of the night to Vietnam, without documentation, through Prey Norkor and made to work as a beggar with other children. He worked from 6 a.m. – 11p.m. and slept on the street without any bedding. The neighbour took the money he earned and if it wasn’t considered to be enough ‘P’ was beaten with a stick, had his head forced underwater in the river and he was not given any food. The neighbour threatened to kill him if he told his parents anything about his conditions and he was told to say the scars on his body (through abuse) were from an accident. No money was sent to his parents. ‘P’ was arrested by the Vietnamese police and imprisoned for three months for illegal migration before being returned to Cambodia through the Bavet border crossing. CCPCR received him at the Transit Centre and for ten months, looked after him and supported him with counselling and education in Literacy, Mathematics, English and Morality. He has received training as a tailor which has given him hope and a positive outlook for his future.

Trafficked victim’s story:

As the sixth of eight children in a poor family with sick parents in Svay Reing Province, ‘S’ stopped attending school at the age of 16 in 2013 to cross illegally into Vietnam on the encouragement of her older sister who promised a job to support the family. ‘S’ sold lottery tickets from 6a.m. until late at night. Her sister took the money and ‘S’ was forced to sleep in public places wherever she could find shelter. Eventually she was arrested by the Vietnamese police and detained in the Ho Chi Min Detention Centre before being repatriated to Cambodia through the Bavet border crossing. She was received by CCPCR at the Transit Centre and referred to its shelter in Svay Reing. Here she received counselling and life skills training. CCPCR found her factory employment in Phnom Penh and she lives independently away from her abusive sister and relatives. She is now able to support her mother.

Victim’s story:

‘D’ is one of seven children whose alcoholic father became seriously physically abusive, forcing the family to flee and eventually taking his own life. At the age of eleven ‘D’ stopped attending school to work and her neighbours called the police due to the serious physical abusive that she was suffering from. In March 2014 ‘D’ was referred to CCPCR in a very poor physical and mental condition. She received counselling, help and support and legal services. She completed a cooking course through ‘Hagar’ and works in a restaurant. She hopes to open her own restaurant in the future.  In her words, ‘I am alive again; I can see the sun shine. I have left the world of cruel punishment and I am free now, thanks to CCPCR. ‘She and her mother are delighted she has obtained a new life and hope her younger brothers and her sister will have the chance to go to school and avoid abuse.

Trafficked victim’s story:

This child was trafficked to be a beggar in Vietnam because her family were very poor. CCPRC worked with the anti-trafficking police and the local stakeholders in Svay Reing to rescue her. She was rescued and referred to the shelter in Svay Reing where she was assessed and given every support to begin her recovery and rehabilitation. She was returned and reintegrated with her family after her recovery showed she was progressing well. CCPRC then assisted with her education and she is now attending school in Grade 3 in Thnot Commune, Kampong Ro district, Svay Reing, near to the Vietnam border. Her parents have divorced and the child lives with her mother and grandmother. CCPCR has assisted the mother with finding employment and she now has a job in a factory. The child is cared for by her grandmother while her mother is at work. When the director of CCPCR, Mr Nget Thy, visited the province on July 21^st 2016, as part of the follow up program, he went to see her and was delighted that she said she was very much enjoying her studies.

Trafficked victim’s story:

Sann (the name has been changed to protect his identity) was born in the Kratie Province in Cambodia. His parents were divorced since he was 8 years old, his mum is disabled since she was young and also is deaf so he lived with a separate family and has two siblings. Sann stopped his education at the age of 12 as he needed to work and create an income for his very poor family. He worked at farms, carried wood and herded cows from one place to another place. At the age 17 Sann was trafficked to Thailand and Indonesia. In October 2010 he was tricked by a neighbour with the promise of highly paid work if he went to Thailand. Sann left home at night without telling his family. He travelled on a boat and after four months eventually landed in Indonesia. He worked on a boat for five years in harsh conditions with little food or money. Sann was lucky and he was rescued and brought back to Cambodia.

He says: Life is amazing now! I never thought that I would be rescued by the police. At that time I was arrested but I was happy when I heard they referred me to Cambodia, IOM took me back home and I arrived at Phnom Penh on 11^th of May 2015. I am thankful for all NGOs who supported everything to me and offered reintegration for me and my family. My mother was very happy when she heard that I had been found. I am very thankful for CCPCR. They help me with a lot of things and worked together with the authorities and the police to get me home safely. They gave me a lot of advice and gave me a new future.  My future plan is to become a good driver, I am studying driving supported by CCPCR and I will be able to look for a job in my community after I have enough driving experience. Furthermore, I have CCPCR who come to visit me and teach me how to improve my daily life and how to build my confidence.