“Is this the right thing to do? Am I a bad mother?” Those thoughts had haunted Hy’s mind for years when she made the tough decision to leave her abusive husband and took her daughter with her. As a child, Hy always felt like a black sheep in her family because she was diagnosed with the chronic skin disease condition, vitiligo. Having an abnormal appearance come hardship, as it became a plausible

Lina was just 20 years old when she was lured in by a broker, Klok, with the promise of a high salary and ‘all expenses covered’ trip to China to begin an illustrious new job. However, this was all just a disguise for the fact that she had been brokered to marry a Chinese man. In excitement and not knowing her fate, Lina fled Cambodia without even telling her family. After having

Longdy Chhap, former human trafficking survivor, turned Hagar Cambodia Counsellor advocates for freedom at the United Nations General Assembly. 22 November 2021, New York – a former survivor of human trafficking and now Hagar Cambodia counselor and trainer, Longdy Chhap will be appearing as a panelist at the United Nations General Assembly for the 2021 Appraisal of the UN Global Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking in Persons.  The event will be officially broadcast on UN

From overcoming the trauma of abuse, to being a role model in her community. We are so inspired by Ân’s story. Ân from Vietnam was forced into marriage at just 14 years of age. Like many girls of that age, she really wasn’t mentally, physically, and economically unprepared. To exacerbate the issue, Ân’s husband did not have a stable job and was struggling with the pressure of having so little money. He

Sreyneang’s story is a powerful illustration of the impact Hagar is having not just in the lives of individuals but in entire communities as well. By volunteering with Hagar, Sreyneang has been able to help implement prevention initiatives that she can tangibly see are making children safer and less vulnerable to abuse. Sreyneang’s parents are farmers and she has 4 sisters whom she loves very much. In 2011, Sreyneang was recruited by

Dana is a survivor of human trafficking who was among the 20 survivors who were rescued and admitted under Hagar’s care. She was trafficked from Cambodia to China when she was 15 years old and was sent back to Cambodia 3 years later. She worked in a garment factory in Phnom Penh, where she was approached by a broker who convinced her to work in China in another factory for $1000USD/month. With

When “knocking on” Hagar’s door for the first time, Thu was just a teenager. After nearly 10 years of joining Hagar, Thu’s life has been improved step by step. Born and raised in a mountainous area in Vietnam, Thu never thought she would see the high-rise buildings and modern amenities of a large city. Understanding this, some bad guys took advantage of Thu and trafficked her into an illegal karaoke bar in

Used to living in the city’s most complicated, noisy and difficult place since her childhood – the wholesale market – Binh seemed to have forged herself to be tough, resilient and independent to survive in such a harsh environment. But no matter how firm or strong her voice was, it seemed that her sound was mute when she got home. In her house, nothing could be heard except her husband’s cursing, shouting

Growing up, Som Nang’s father was violent and eventually her mum left the family to go and work in another province. She left the 4 girls with their father and re-married. Som Nang and her sisters worked as harvest workers at the Thai border. One day, when she was just 14 years old, her own father raped her. He continued to rape her until she fell pregnant, eventually giving birth to a

Hoa is 27 years old, she’s a bridal make-up specialist and a hairstylist in training. Hoa loves her family, and she’s great at her job. When Hoa was a teenager, both of her parents suffered debilitating health challenges that prevented them from working. They found themselves struggling financially, so Hoa and her brother left school to find work to support their family. Hoa found work as a waitress. She made friends with