WHY WE DO IT
"In that brothel I felt I was in hell and would never get out, I thought I would die there and never return home. It was beyond my belief that I had become a sex worker. I felt so hopeless, so worthless, without value. I stayed locked in that brothel for one year."
Daughters of Cambodia aims to help at least 100 girls each year to permanently walk free from sex-work, and to experience psychological healing and quality of life.
My Life in a Brothel. Drawn by a 12-year-old
What Motivates Us:
Jesus is Light and Hope for the world
Isaiah 61: 1-3 summarizes the ministry of Jesus Christ and says, "the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners....to comfort all who mourn...to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair."
It is because of Jesus' life, love, and sacrifice that we are doing what we do.
Commercial Sexual Exploitation
Commercial sexual exploitation of children and young women and men in Cambodia has escalated over the last decade into what is now an “industry”.
In Cambodia, there are several key factors that lead to a girl entering the sex industry, and once there, it is hard for her to leave:
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Social stigma and lack of education reduce alternative job options
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Children want to support their parents financially in order to pay back the debt of being born
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Loss of hope is off-set by the belief that she will earn a better re-incarnation through sacrificing her life to support her family
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Victims are unwilling to live in a shelter due to the loss of dignity/choice and the need to retain existing support networks and family relationships (collectivist-society).
Over time, many girls at Daughters are promoted and become leaders within our organization.
They are employed in roles including:
Business Managers, Head Chef, Quality Control Manager, Order & Dispatch Controller, Production Line Managers, Counsellors, and Receptionists.
Choice and Dignity
Our clients come to us voluntarily because they are looking for life-change. We are not a shelter and our approach is non-institutionalization. Clients choose where they wish to live, and most choose to remain in the community, where they can maintain relationships with their families and friends.
Instead of creating dependence, we empower our clients, building their internal capacity and providing the external resources they need to change their own lives within their cultural and social contexts. We seek to create changes that are internal, voluntary and sustainable — not imposed. Long-term success is achieved when a client remains out of the sex industry for the rest of her life, supporting herself through dignified, rewarding work and achieving psychological and social health.
