Prevention Programme
Sexual abuse of children is one of the most important and horrifying issues facing Cambodia today. Responding to it requires action on the part of all segments of society – police, judiciary, community leaders and organisations, and the general public. Cambodia serves as an origin, transit and destination country for the trafficking of people.
Victims are sent to Malaysia or Thailand for labour or the sex trade whilst children are sent to Bangkok or Vietnam to beg in the streets. All this in addition to an already devastating domestic trade in women and children for sex and other forms of exploitation.
At Ratanak International we have always believed that we need to be balanced in our approach to child sex slavery. We need to work to rescue those helpless children sold in to this dark underworld, but we also need to be very active working to prevent kids being trafficked in the first place. To that end Ratanak International has partnered with Chab Dai to provide a child trafficking prevention program at the community level in many rural villages from where the kids are sold.
This very successful ongoing program run at the community and village level now operates in most border provinces. This program works to educate, enable, and strengthen children and their families regarding the perils of trafficking. It serves to educate communities regarding the methods used by human traffickers, and there are intervention and follow up strategies for those who have already been abused or trafficked. Advocacy, speaking up for and with these children, is essential – to plant the seed of change within this country and beyond. Exponential growth in the impact of this program has been noted as a result of the dedication and good work of the trained volunteers.
This is a low-key indigenous program where westerners are not directly involved. The sense of pride and ownership expressed by the Cambodian program staff is clear in their actions and enthusiasm.
Post revolutionary Cambodia has no clue about the concept of basic human rights. There is no understanding of the value of a child or any other human being for that mater. The rules of survival are all that matter. There is no understanding of what “child trafficking” actually is. In this context traffickers can move into villages and buy kids from desperately poor parents with ease.
So a teaching program was developed to educate first the church and then the wider community regarding these issues. The training consists of a four day course. Covering topics such as: What is trafficking? Who are the victims? Is trafficking illegal? Why are children trafficked? Traffickers’ strategy, Law and human rights, and understanding God’s heart for children.
The response has been overwhelming. Thousands of people have now been trained in the churches and have a whole new understanding of the problems and the solutions. Parents and pastors alike have stood up at the end of the course and acknowledged there have been children sold in their own communities and have committed to working with others to prevent such sales. Groups of women who previously sold their children, and even encouraged others to do so, now have committed to defend kids. Even one previous trafficker has renounced such activity.
This program teaches dignity, self worth and community protection skills. It has been very well received throughout Cambodia and continues to expand. While never forcing any spiritual agenda, this program’s desire is to see a holistic transformation of lives and to bring healing, freedom and hope through faith in Jesus Christ.