Stories of Hope | Hagar USA

Hagar Starts Community Child Protection Project in Afghanistan

Hagar Shifts to Community Care for Afghan Children Hagar is changing how it supports children in Afghanistan. The organization is moving from residential care to a community-based model. This shift keeps children safe while staying with their families. Why Community-Based Protection? Many Afghan children face serious risks. These include hunger, poor health, lack of schooling, abuse, and trafficking. Hagar’s new model meets these needs directly in communities. “We’re not stepping back—we’re stepping

Hagar Scales Up Trauma-Informed Care in Cambodia

Phnom Penh, Cambodia — April 25, 2025 — Hagar, in collaboration with Cambodia’s National Institute of Social Affairs (NISA) proudly hosted a groundbreaking “Trauma-Informed Care” workshop in Phnom Penh. The event, generously supported by International Justice Mission (IJM), welcomed nearly 300 participants, including social service professionals, government representatives, and civil society partners. A major highlight of the day was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Hagar and NISA. Through

Bopha’s Story: From Tragedy to Triumph

It started with hope. It started with a promise. Like so many young women striving for a better future, Bopha* longed to provide for her family. When she met someone on Facebook offering her a well-paying job in China, she saw an opportunity to change her life and the future for her family. But instead of a job, Bopha was deceived and sold into a forced marriage. Trapped, abused, and far from

Tien’s Journey of Hope

Tien was just 16 when her world changed forever. Raised by her father’s family after her parents divorced, she longed for a mother’s love and the warmth of a stable home. But instead of finding comfort, she was deceived by a group of traffickers and taken to China, where she was forced into marriage—not once, but three times. For nearly two years, Tien endured unimaginable hardship before she finally managed to escape

Two Scam Centre Victims Rescued and Restored

Two teenage girls packed their bags, eager to support their families and build a brighter future. A job listing on a trusted online platform promised legal customer service roles with a well-known shopping company. Everything seemed safe – the perfect opportunity. But safety was an illusion. When the girls arrived at the agency, they were told they were too young to obtain passports. Instead, they were sent to another company “branch” in

From Service to Serving: Chronicle of Philanthropy Profiles Hagar

The Chronicle of Philanthropy featured Hagar Board member and veteran, Debbie Manzanares in honor of Veteran’s Day! Read Debbie’s inspiring story and how her time in the military led her to support Hagar’s work restoring and empowering women. Read the Article

Ending Human Trafficking Podcast Interviews Hagar

In the latest episode of Dr. Sandie Morgan’s Ending Human Trafficking podcast, Hagar’s Interim CEO, Peter Baynard-Smith, and Sandie discuss community-based care for victims of human trafficking, slavery, and abuse. Listen to the podcast

Hagar Expands Care to Two New Provinces in Vietnam

Hagar has just launched services in two new provinces in Vietnam. Lao Cai and Quang Binh are human trafficking hot spots. This expansion is part of Hagar’s mission to provide care and support for women and children who have been trafficked or abused. By reaching more areas, Hagar hopes to help even more survivors rebuild their lives. The Human Trafficking Crisis in Vietnam Human trafficking is a serious problem in Vietnam. Thousands

Survivor Leader Joins Hagar as Social Worker

Once a survivor in Hagar’s Cambodia programs, Naome now joins the organization as a social worker dedicated to helping other girls like herself heal and rebuild their lives. Many years ago when she was a young girl, Naome was welcomed into Hagar’s recovery program after suffering terrible abuse. She was from a remote province in northern Cambodia with few services to help her heal and rebuild her life. Naome came to Hagar

Empowering Afghan women with good jobs

70 Afghan women are building sustainable livelihoods and achieving their dreams with Hagar’s support. In Afghanistan, Hagar recently launched Hagar three new tailoring cooperatives! The cooperatives are part of Hagar’s Restoring Lives Through Livelihood (RLL) project. The program aims to reduce the risk of trafficking and abuse among women by empowering them with sustainable economic opportunities and holistic support systems. Over the next six months, 70 women will train in tailoring and