Shelter program

The Children of Cambodia NGO is carrying out its main project to reintegrate trafficked young girls into society in Cambodia's capital Phnom Penh.

Our main goal is to help the victims of human trafficking that are sold into sex slavery in Cambodia by reintegrating them into society. The target group is 7–17 year old girls who have been kidnapped or tricked into sex slavery and prostitution.

A guarded shelter

Children of Cambodia opened a guarded shelter where girls recover in a peaceful environment without fear. Girls come to the shelter to live after being freed from the brothels where they work.

Our long term program allows victims to live in the shelter until they reach adulthood. The program supports the children by offering mental and psychological therapy in a safe, home environment.

The children have the opportunity to receive primary school instruction, starting with Khmer and English reading and writing classes. The girls are also taught other useful handicraft skills by local teachers. The handicrafts can be ordered and bought from the Children of Cambodia NGO. Profits from handicraft sales are given to the girls. Further educational opportunities will be provided according to the individual interests of each girl.

There are two caretakers who live in the shelter. They each work half a week and serve as mother figures to the girls. They cook and clean the house with help from the girls. Each girl has a certain domestic task for which she is responsible for one week. The tasks vary from week to week and include the following activities: gardening, cleaning the floors, washing dishes, and preparing meals with the caretaker. In addition to the caretakers, there is a male psychologist working fulltime at the NGO to help the girls recover from their traumatic experiences and rebuild their trust in people, especially men.

There is room for 16 to 20 girls in the Children of Cambodia shelter. We are planning to open another similar shelter for Vietnamese victims.

The Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs Department for International Development Cooperation will support the project for 3 years (from March 2003 until December 2005). After this support period has ended finances for the shelter will increasingly depend on donations from private citizens and companies, as well as monthly payments from the sponsor program.