In May (2011) we planned to have 8 artisans in our Aoi Chat project – 2 boys and 6 girls. However, two girls and one boy left before our project started. One boy named Sok Pat (*the names of all of the artisans have been changed in the interest of maintaining confidentiality) left within the first two weeks to study at a local vocational college. Another girl, Nita, had to leave Safe Haven as her guardians engaged her to marry. Finally, one girl named Sophally left suddenly to work in Thailand with no prior notice to staff or her family. Leng and I tried to follow-up with her family, but they did not have any contact information in order to reach her, and did not know the nature (or location) of her work in Thailand. Please pray for her and her work, as we cannot find any information on her wellbeing.
Our project began with 5 participants (4 girls and 1 boy). This group ranges between the ages of 14 to 17. Houn (our one boy) and Navy have been at Safe Haven for the longest – almost 2 years. Charmran arrived at Safe Haven about 1 year ago. Srey Neang and Srey Keo are the newer additions, having lived at Safe Haven for about 5 months.
All of the artisans are at-risk of being trafficked. They have grown up in poverty in the slums and villages surrounding Poipet City. Their houses consist mainly of a platform of bamboo, with a slanted roof to provide shelter from the rain and sun. In most cases, 5-8 family members share this living space. Only one of our artisans has both of her parents living – the others either have one biological parent or are orphans.
In the beginning of May, Leng and I were at Safe Haven, visiting with the artisans and talking to them about the upcoming project plan and schedule. We were standing outside of the sewing room when two motos pulled in through the front gate. We saw Nita (one of our artisans who had visited home for the past week) and her mother, stepfather and uncle. Leng and I watched as they approached the sewing office. The artisans also came out to welcome Nita back. She greeted them and came to stand next to me, slipping her hand into mine and hugging me from behind. I squeezed her hand back and smiled.
As we talked with Nita’s parents, it became apparent that they did not plan to have her back at Safe Haven. On the contrary, they had found a man for her to marry and wanted her to come home to prepare for married life. She is 16 years old. Leng pulled out three chairs from the sewing room and they sat down. Nita’s mother was drunk and she spoke incoherently while the stepfather kept coughing up flem that he spat onto the grass. Her uncle, the village chief, said he had accompanied the two to make sure that they didn’t cause trouble at Safe Haven. Both of Nita’s mother and stepfather are alcoholics. I stood silently, hugging Nita back as she wrapped her arms around my middle and listened to Leng talk with them. They said that they were firm that Nita should marry.
Leng and I took Nita aside and talked with her in private. We asked her to think over the idea of getting married – did she really want to get married or were her parents pressuring her into it? Did she know the man? How old was he? We asked her to please tell us the truth, and we would do all we could to convince her parents not to force the issue. Each time we asked, she shook her head and said that it was okay, she wanted to get married.
Nita’s mother and stepfather also wanted Srey Keo to return home, and said that they had come to collect her. Leng and I automatically felt strongly against this, as we knew she had been a target of abuse back home in her village. If she were to return, it would be undoubtedly returning to abuse. I am particularly concerned about Srey Keo because she rarely makes eye contact. She always has her shoulders hunched and her face down. She rarely smiles and she rarely talks. Leng immediately began explaining to them about the programme we were setting up at Safe Haven, and about providing the girls a wage for making jewelry. He told them about the bank accounts that would be set up in their name and the financial burden that would be lifted from the mother and stepfather if they left Srey Keo at Safe Haven (provided with food, shelter, clothes, a vocational skill from Freedom Stones and a wage). In the end, they agreed to let Srey Keo stay at Safe Haven until the end of the project. Leng translated for me afterwards that Srey Keo’s mother wanted to use the wage from jewelry production to buy herself more alcohol. I focused on remaining thankful that she was within our care for the time being – and it would give us a chance to figure out what could be a safe next step for her after the programme.
I am concerned about Nita’s upcoming marriage and the character of her husband, as neither Leng nor I (nor Nita) have met him or know any details about him. Leng and I tried every angle to convince Nita to wait, to join the Freedom Stones programme and consider being married after – but with no success. I’m not sure to what degree she feels pressured by her parents and wants to make them happy or how genuinely she wants to get married. Please pray for her.
Will be praying for her…