AP became aware of the situation when Sreypov said that her sister was “moving to Malaysia.” It is known that women in Cambodia are often victims of human trafficking. They are sent to countries such as Malaysia and Thailand to work as domestic servants or forced into the sex trade. AP staff and volunteers banded together to understand the full story of Sreymom’s situation. She had been living in a “training center” for one month without adequate food, health care, and personal freedoms. She now describes the center as jail-like and estimates at least 500 other women were being held there as well.
It was important to first alert Sreymom's family of the risks of her going to Malaysia. Once they agreed she should not go, releasing her from the center was AP's top priority. Sreymom’s father and Soy Socheat, AP Assistant Director, spent several tedious hours trying to arrange her release with the center and after five hours of negotiations she was released.
Sreymom is now doing well and is living at Aziza’s Place. She is taking English classes, helping with daily chores, and is playing older sister to all the girls at AP. In March she will begin a year long training course with the Open Arms Vocational Training center. This job training program was located by AP volunteer Cath Waugh and will help Sreymom learn the skills to live her dream of becoming a beautician.
Unfortunately, Sreymom’s case is not uncommon. These scams prey on poor communities to recruit young women. They offer money to the families so the girls are immediately locked into debt. To avoid another situation like Sreymom’s, AP has alerted the families of these scams and is encouraging more in depth communication to understand each family’s situation.
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