Girls are standing in a line waiting to be sold. They have smiles plastered on their faces and their learned ways entice their customers. They convince themselves that this is the only way they can provide. They may even feel beautiful and sophisticated while getting the attention of local and foreign men. Maybe they are poor. Maybe they were abused when they were young and now seen as “tainted.” Maybe no one gave them a chance or saw their potential. The reasons are endless as are the girls standing in the line…
What if we could stop the abuse before it happens? What if we could change lives before they are in this situation? There are so many similar stories of abuse and violence. We must learn from these and prevent these stories from repeating themselves. No one is born wanting to work as a prostitute and no one is born with the desire to abuse women and children. Do you see why fighting for children at a young age is important?
Perhaps prevention is not seen to be as glamorous as knocking down the walls of a brothel but if we took more action on the prevention side maybe there would not be as many brothel walls to knock down in the first place. Something that I have learned from working with Kone Kmeng (http://www.kone-kmeng.org/) is that for holistic change to come we must fight for the children, work with families and unite the communities with the churches. The hearts must be penetrated. Therefore if we really want to see change…we must pray.
Many myths shape the culture in Cambodia and seem to reside in lies about identity. I hear statements everyday such as: “White skin is better.” “Small noses are more beautiful.” Another dangerous and widespread myth is that once a girl is abused she is FOREVER tainted and becomes a target for more abuse. Imagine what it would be like to be told that you are spoiled goods and worthless every day. I know for me it would be hard to believe otherwise. Many girls then grow to believe that their only option is to prostitute themselves and by doing so they can at least provide for their families and redeem some sort of good standing.
I would like to invite you to follow the progress of an exciting project. In response to a true and heart breaking story of abuse Kone Kmeng had the idea of writing and publishing a children’s book. I am working with one of their staff members to create this book. (Also Laura Burris, a childhood friend is doing the illustrations. The image to the left is a sneak peak!)
The book is about a thirteen year old girl who experienced abuse from her father and then later is raped by local men. Through the help of the pastor in her village she is encouraged to continue going to school where she meets Jesus. She is encouraged to strive for her dream of becoming a doctor and helping her village. The hope that she has gets her through a dark time and allows her to trudge toward her dreams.
This is a children’s book and the target audience are the children in the provinces of Cambodia. It may seem strange to have a book for children addressing rape but it is very relevant to their lives. The reality is that this subject is not a foreign concept to them. Domestic violence and abuse is a very real thing for many Cambodian children. They need to know that such abuse is not permissible, that they have a voice and that they are valuable. The message of the book is that no event or person can steal value and there is always hope. Jesus is the only one who can change hearts and he can redeem even the darkest of situations.
The girl who inspired this story is real. Her pain is real as well as her hope. The details of her experience are guarded as not to exploit her for her experience. She is not a victim. She is a child of God and should not be defined by what was done to her. But we must learn from her story and take action before it happens to others and take an active part in the lives of those who have experienced abuse as well.The desire to fight for her and children like her should be fierce in us.
Girls like her could very well grow up to be doctor; making a huge difference in their communities. Boys her age if fought for now could stand up for women instead of abusing them. Families that are soaked in brokenness could experience a tidal wave of healing. Jesus cares about these children and so should we.
If you would like to know more information about this project or would like to help out in any way please write me at: [email protected] or the director of Kone Kmeng at: [email protected]
lauren, this is so exciting. i love hearing you talk about this project and the passion you have for prevention and working with kids. this was a great blog – so informative and moving! love ya! =)
Great idea. The culture needs to change. Thank you for making a difference, Lauren.
Amen to prevention; so happy that you are doing this Lauren.
Thanks for doing this.
Wonderful work, Lauren – just found this site today! And I am am in strong agreemnt with you on the high value of awareness and prevention. I would love to see there be NO NEED for rescues! And so few girls are rescued today anyway, as a percentage of the total number of girls bondage, which is increasing. You are a blessing.
Hey sister!!! I’m so proud of you, I’m meeting with Dean and Lee today to get the ball rolling on coming over and working with you for a few months! I want to make a difference with you 🙂