Overview:
This project allows our partners to continue their outreach during the evenings in the red-light district of Phnom Penh. The Cambodian Government has told our partner that new cases of child sex trafficking are occurring in this district and at night. To prevent this, the teams head out during the evening to connect with the children on the streets, to build relationships and help them avoid predators. The second target area is the Stung Mean Chey slums, full of gangs, drugs, extreme poverty and every sort of abuse. Our partners are assessing the needs in these two areas and are coming up with the best solutions to reach children who are sexually exploited there.
What we like about it:
Our implementing partner is in this for the long term – they take time to build trusted relationships with the children, who can then tell them what has happened to them. They work to restore children to wholeness but also to bring the perpetrator to justice. They work closely with the government of Cambodia and have had great success. They are taking the time to find the roots of the problem and to create lasting solutions.
Budget: $38,000
The funds will provide for teams to undertake outreach in the red-light district of Phnom Penh during the hours of darkness – these teams will provide a friendly and safe space, seeking to connect with vulnerable children and protect them.
The Need:
Cambodia, despite efforts by the government and many NGOs, is still known as a destination for child sex. Websites offer advice on where to go to find susceptible children and how to approach them, and sometimes even their families. There are few organisations working in this space of protecting children, rescuing children and working with the justice system to prosecute the perpetrator. Our implementing partner does just this. Children as young as three and four have been rescued because of their work.
Life Change:
