What We Do and Why?
Daughters has developed a unique model in Cambodia, one in which sex workers come direct to the organization from the brothels by choice. Daughters’ day centre, in the heart of an area of Phnom Penh brothels, reaches out to girls working as sex workers and offers them ways out of this situation. We are not a shelter, but we facilitate the girls' exit from the sex industry by providing a number of resources and programs that enable them to set themselves free and sustain healthy choices for their own lives. They come because they are already motivated to change their lives, and Daughters gives them choice and dignity in building a different future, that make their choices sustainable and respect their human rights. Most organizations in Cambodia that work with sex workers, rescue them by force; the process is traumatic, and in most cases is not sustained once they re-gain their freedom because no alternative job has been provided and pressure from parents for money forces them back to the brothels. At Daughters, if girls wish to change their life-styles, they are empowered to make changes by building their internal capacity and through immediate alterative income generation in the provision of jobs. Rather than learn NGO dependence, the girls learn to be responsible for their own lives and accommodation and provide for their staple needs out of their salaries, in order to foster sustainability.
Programs build the girls’ internal capacity; facilitating psychological and emotional healing, building self-worth and confidence, providing a means of self-expression, teaching skills in problem-solving and teaching tools for girls to increase their own psychological and social quality of life. Programs include educational and life-skills programs, medical and counseling clinics, and social support services.
Read more about Daugthers Values and Aims.
Fair Trade Businesses
Provision of a job is fundamental, being the first step in facilitating girls walking free, since most girls are trafficked because the families demand financial support from them. Daughters operates 5 small businesses which are fair trade, with higher salaries than they would earn in other comparable businesses in Cambodia, and good working conditions, along with free supplementary services built into the working day, and free daycare. See Fair Trade page for details.
Social Services Programs
Includes counselling clinic, art therapy group sessions, general medical and antenatal clinic, domestic social work visits, referrals to partnering service providers such as lawyers or human rights organizations, referrals to specialist medical service providers, life skills educational programs to give girls skills in functional living, and regular assessments of clients’ social and psychological functioning. Life-skills workshops include education in budgeting skills, parenting skills, conflict resolution, domestic violence prevention, HIV prevention, drugs education and many more topics relevant to the girls’ domestic, daily lives.
Creative Classes
A range of creative classes are held to build self-esteem and confidence and facilitate expression and emotional healing. These include; photography, design, art, music, hip hop dance, khmer dance and singing.
On-site Church
Daughters has a Church on-site each week for girls who wish to learn about Christianity. We teach Biblical discipleship of Jesus Christ, have worship and sharing of testimonies, prayer, and we welcome the Holy Spirit’s presence.
