Hello, friends!
One of the fun things that we got to do while we were in Cambodia
was spend a few days visiting some of the other organizations that are working
in Cambodia. The government in Cambodia is very open to Non-Government
Organizations (NGO’s) coming in and doing humanitarian work and the world,
especially missions organizations, have responded in kind. There are over 1000
NGO’s in Cambodia, working on a number of different levels, from human
trafficking to education, to farming reform.
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| A woman making thread from palm leaves |
We checked out a couple of different organizations doing
different things. Daughters of Cambodia focuses on rescuing women from sex
trafficking and training them in the food service industry. Agape international
works with children, also rescuing them from human trafficking situations while
also providing them with education and job training opportunities. Sak Saum
works to build economically viable business in the provinces, teaching
communities to make clothing, purses, jewelry, and other manufactured goods.
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| Agape International HQ |
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With each of the organizations that we visited, there was
one thing I saw that spoke to me and one question I had that still nags at me.
The praise is that each of these organization was dedicated not just to helping
the Khmer people but on training them to work and sustain a living for
themselves. This is crucial especially in terms of the women, men, and children
who were rescued from human trafficking situations. Many times, families sell
their children into a trafficking situation because they need the money. A
person (man, woman, or child) may be forced work as a prostitute so she can
support her family. If that person manages to escape slavery, the only place
they have to return is home, which is where they were sold in the first place.
The family still needs the money, so the individual may be forced back into
slavery and the cycle continues. All of the organizations we saw in Cambodia
were focused on after-care, providing economically sustainable work for those
who are involved so the financial incentive for their families to traffic them
is eliminated. It’s a beautiful way for NGO’s to be sure that the work they are
doing is work that lasts.
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| Daughters of Cambodia |
The question I still have is whether or not the models
are economically sustainable since they are highly dependent upon western
patronage. The meals being served at Daughters of Cambodia and the goods that
are being sold via Sak Saum are way out of the price range of the Khmer people
and have almost an exclusively western/foreign/ex-pat audience. This is the
only way for these organizations to ensure that they can provide fair trade wages
to those who are a part of the program. My concern is that it creates a sense
of dependence on the ex-pat community by the Khmer people. I don’t know that
there’s a way for these NGO’s to be serving the Khmer community as a whole in a
more direct fashion but it was a question I had.
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| Sak Saum makes fair trade bags and clothing |
Either way, it was such a blessing to see the body of
Christ at work. We serve a wonderful God who cares about His people and also
blesses them with giftings in entrepreneurship and hearts for mission. I am so
thankful that I get to be a part of a body that creates such innovative
solutions to the situation in Cambodia.
Have an excellent day!
~Adam
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