The Power of One

This trip to Cambodia was motivated by my desire to understand more about sex trafiicking and about ways to help victims. A friend asked me a few days ago whether I have managed to stop sex trafficking, and I said in jest "Almost!"

Stopping sex trafficking is obviously an overwhelming challenge. Stopping the demand for services of brothels and the desire for sex with young girls and child virgins requires efforts far beyond my abilities. Fortunately, the government of Cambodia is beginning to take some small steps to address the problem.

On the other side, though, there is much I can do. One is to increase awareness, which I hope I am achieving in small part through this blog and by sharing the stories I have heard upon my return to Atlanta. The AFESIP Centers and the Somaly Mam Foundation (SMF) do an outstanding job of supporting victims, and I will continue my financial support of these organizations.

Over the past two weeks, I have come to believe that the biggest impact on sex trafficking that I can have is to support efforts to educate women and girls and provide vocational training so that they have options for making a living and caring for families. If a girl is able to generate income, she is less likely to be sold into sex slavery.

I have been overwhelmed druing this trip by the seeds that have been planted by the Methodist Church which, though not identifed for this particular purpose, will over time have a significant impact on stopping the sale of young girls from the countryside. Below is a summary of the efforts I think are key:

1. Teaching the value of women and children. The Church teaches that children are valued and that women are valued As I mentioned last week with respect to the Methodist School in Phnom Penh, the schools and churches interact with parents and others in a way that demonstrates the worth and importance of each individual. By teaching that Jesus loves chidren and women, and that God made each person as a wonderful and precious creation, the churches and schools start gradually impacting the mindset of Cambodians who traditionally do not respect and recognize the worth of children and women.

2. Women's Livelihood Projects. These projects, such as the ones I visited which support small business enterprises such as basketweaving and raising pigs, allow women to earn money. If a woman is earning money, she is more valued by her husband, who is then less likely to sell her. She also can allow her daughters to attend school rather than staying home to work in the fields.

3. Providing vocational training. As I mentioned last week, COS has a center to teach women weaving, cooking and hairdressing. AFESIP also provides training for the residents of its Centers. Through these and other training programs, young women are given the skills to support themselves and are less vulnerable to sex traffickers.

4. Education. Education is ultimately the key to improving the lives of women. Cambodia provides public schools that are free to attend. However, the child must have a uniform and must pay the teacher for copies of lessons and books. Providing scholarships for girls to attend school is critically important; however, it is not the full solution since some parents in the countryside still desperately need their children to work in the fields rather than to attend school. We asked the SMF about programs to pay parents an incentive to send their daughters to school, as discussed in Half the Sky by N. Kristoff. However, SMF was not aware of any studies which establish how effective this program actually is. Also, older children often do not live close enough to a high school to continue their education. In this regard, the work of the church to build dormitories where children may live away from home and attend high school is critically important. Similarly, dormitories are also needed for young women to attend universities. For about $300/year, we can provide a girl with a scholarship to attend school. For about $800/year, we can provide a scholarship for a young woman to attend university. For about $20,000, we can build a dormitory that will house 12-16 girls attending university or high school.

A faithful reader of this blog emailed me last Friday a quote attributed to Mother Theresa: "If you cannot feed one hundred, feed one." I cannot solve sex traficking, but I can hopefully save at least one girl from becoming a victim. I can provide a scholarship or help raise funds for a dormitory. Together, we can save many girls.