From Miserable Life to Get a Skill of Hairdressing

Thida is one survivor of trafficking to beg and sell lottery ticket in Vietnam. She is 17 years old and she is the 7^th children among 9 siblings in a poor family in countryside of Svay Rieng province.

When Thida was young, her family's condition was bad, they lived in the small house with hold roof and wall, and no one in her family ever got education. Her family felt in debt, since her parents got sick and not able to work. They also have no land or rice field. Thida had no chance to catch school as other child. She responded to help her family by migrating to beg and sell lottery ticket in Vietnam because almost all her elder sisters and brothers got married and lived in separated house.

Thida went to Vietnam for 3 times since she was 10 years old. She said, her parents saw her neighbors earned a lot of money there, therefore she and her sister were sent to earn money too.

The condition of living and working on the street in Vietnam was so difficult and but she did not earn much as expected. She had no enough food to eat, place to sleep and she always escaped when she saw the police.

Unfortunately, Thida was arrested and detained for a month, before she was repatriated back to Cambodia​​ to live with her parents. She was vulnerable of remigration because her parents had no money to support her family and her study.

In 2013 at her age of 13 years old, Thida was referred to get CCPCR's service with supported to get general education until grade 3, then she was supported to train on skill of hairdressing and beauty salon.

Eam Sreypov the social worker at CCPCR said, during studying and staying at CCPCR Svay Rieng shelter, Thida also got supported on accommodation, counseling, and her family basic need for several months. CCPCR supported her parents to raise animal at home to gain more income. She continued, CCPCR helped them due to their needs and situation, however CCPCR also wanted to see them to change their lives and avoid from repeated migration.

Thida was so clever and learned quickly, only one year of training she got it and she was given the salary about 50 to 60 dollars per month by the shop owner. "Thida has commitment, working hard and diligent to learn this skill, even I blamed her sometime", said shop owner. Thida was improved quickly and she might be able to make money by herself, she continued.   

"I feel so lucky and happy to get the skill training, and I could not make my life changed as Today without supported by CCPCR", said Thida.

"I myself can earn to support my family with my ability, so my life is better through hairdressing skill", she added.

According to this important skill, Thida commit to strengthen her ability to be more professional and she wish to run her own hairdressing shop one day. She wish to make a lot of money to support her family and her younger sister and brother to get higher education to avoid from migration as well. Name to be changed.