Centre for Girls - CAMBODIA

Thirty-five percent of Cambodia’s large population live below the poverty line. Poverty, though not the sole reason, is one cause of human-trafficking. In Cambodia, an estimated 30,000 children are trapped in brothels in the cities and tourist areas, raped for profit by local and foreign men alike. These children, mostly girls, are as young as four and five years old.

Human trafficking is a form of modern day slavery. Today, an estimated 27 million people are held captive around the world. These individuals are forced into sexual exploitation, labor, domestic servitude, armed conflict, begging networks, or bought and sold for their body parts. They endure physical, mental, emotional, psychological, and spiritual implications. In Cambodia, World Hope Australia endeavors to care for survivors of slavery.

World Hope Australia’s Center for Girls in Cambodia cares for girl survivors of commercial sexual exploitation and/or rape. June 2010 marked the Center’s fifth anniversary of operation in Cambodia. Over the past five years, the Center has cared for 544 girl survivors.

During this period, World Hope Australia initiated the New Steps Project aimed at reintegrating girls to stable families sooner and more effectively following their stay at the Center. Through the New Steps Project, staff spend more time with families during assessments and after reintegration, in addition to providing family counseling and modest material assistance to help families bring their daughters home safely.