A mother and daughter have been happily reunited and are building a new life together, after the daughter was trafficked into a brothel when she was just 15.
Hope for Justice has supported Thavy* and her eldest daughter Kimlay* in Cambodia for three years, providing care and support after Kimlay’s trafficking ordeal, and later providing both with the vital skills and means to create a safe and self-sufficient future.
Single mother-of-five Thavy had been earning a living collecting and recycling plastic and metal, but her cart had broken down, and she had no money to buy another. Desperate to make ends meet, she agreed to let Kimlay leave home and take up an offer of a job in a restaurant.
But Kimlay was then forced into the brothel. After a few months, the brothel was raided by the police, who arrested the owner. We then took Kimlay in at our Cambodia Lighthouse. For four months, our expert team provided care and support to help her gradually heal. Having recovered, Kimlay was then keen to carry out training in a beauty salon. We supported her throughout her training, and helped her find a job in a salon.
Meanwhile, in order to further safeguard the family’s future and reduce the risk of the other four children being trafficked, we worked closely with Thavy too. We provided a new cart for her recycling business, plus financial and parenting training.
With our continued support, she and her other children have now moved from one small room to a house, where they are also able to grow their own vegetables.
The four children are back at school. Kimlay, now aged 18, is living independently and enjoying her job, while also helping to support her family.
*Names and image have been changed to protect the identity of the individuals
