Child Trafficking
Tricked, coerced, threatened, sold. Each day, children all over the world find themselves victims of trafficking.
Child trafficking is one of the gravest forms of child abuse in the world today. It is a multi-billion dollar industry that involves an estimated 1.2 million children every year. These children end up trapped in the worst forms of child labour like slavery or sexual exploitation.
The underlying cause of most child trafficking is poverty. Children are often trafficked because they or their families desperately need money and poverty makes them vulnerable. Factors like war, natural disasters, family dislocation, domestic violence and an absence of trafficking penalties place children at more risk of trafficking.
It’s a tragic situation, and growing. But there are ways we can help to stop this trading of innocent children.
WORLD VISION CHILD RESCUE PROGRAM
World Vision’s Child Rescue program works in countries where trafficking is prevalent, such as Cambodia. This work largely focuses on advocacy and prevention, reaching out to vulnerable women, children and their communities so they have a greater awareness of trafficking and abuse, and access to appropriate support structures. The work also provides rehabilitation, reintegration, assistance and care for women and children who have been abused, exploited or trafficked.
Focus on Cambodia
About the country
Cambodia serves as the origin, transit and destination for many victims of people trafficking. Factors such as widespread poverty, high unemployment, poor literacy, and lack of employment make the sale of women and children a consideration for many families.
Child Rescue projects in Cambodia:
1) Trauma Recovery Centre Project
Project information
The Trauma Recovery Centre in Cambodia offers healing, recovery and community reintegration for girls and young women who have been sexually exploited. At the centre they are treated in a protective, nurturing and supportive environment.
The Centre aims to provide:
• services to assist healing and recovery, such as medical support, psychosocial counselling, recreational and sporting activities;
• educational and developmental support to the girls and young women, through education, vocational training and skills development;
• support for reintegration into society, achieved through family reconciliation, or by providing foster care or group homes;
• research, networking and advocacy work aimed at preventing sexual exploitation.
2) Child Safe Tourism project
People trafficking in Cambodia is increasing. Responding appropriately to it requires action from the Cambodian government and society, law enforcement officials, non government organisations and the wider public. Rural villages and communities are very vulnerable to traffickers and paedophiles, as they are often unaware of the risks. Children are vulnerable to trafficking because they are easily exploited and more easily tricked than adults. They are also less able to demand their rights. In many countries, children’s rights are not adequately protected in law.
The Child Safe Tourism project aims to increase knowledge in preventing the sexual exploitation of children among community leaders, teachers, tourism operators, local governments and children themselves. It also involves improving prevention and protection measures at selected tourism hubs and educating children about their rights.
Project information
Some highlights in this project so far include:
• Over 10,000 child-safe tourism booklets have been distributed to highlight the plight of the children involved.
• Close to 3,000 children have been educated on child-safe tourism; some have become members of Child Peer Educator Teams to reach out to other children.
• Some hotels and guesthouses are working together to prevent sexual exploitation of children.
• Project activities have extended to 10 provinces across Cambodia.
You can support both of the above projects as part of the World Vision Child Rescue program. To find out more and donate towards these projects
CLICK THROUGH TO CHILD RESCUE PROGRAM