By Candida Ng
SINGAPORE (Reuters Life!) - Somaly Mam has been held at gunpoint, her daughter has been kidnapped and her house burned down. Now, the Cambodian former sex worker turned activist is battling the global financial crisis.
One of the most pressing concerns Mam, who crusades against forced prostitution, is facing is scarce funding for the shelter she helped start for women and girls who are abused and coerced into the sex trade in Cambodia and neighboring countries.
The current credit crunch also has had a effect on the number of women and children turning to prostitution to survive and the ability of Mam to care for her more than 200 charges in shelters.
"Since we opened the shelter, I always face this problem. Like the last five months, no rice, we cannot feed the children," Mam, of Agir pour les Femmes En Situation Precaire (AFESIP or Acting for Women in Distressing Situations), told Reuters.
AFESIP, a largely Spanish-funded grass-roots group, requires about $1.5 million annually to fund its efforts in Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam and Laos, Mam said. She also travels around the world to raise money for the Somaly Mam Foundation that puts a spotlight on forced prostitution.
Earlier this month, Cambodia said it expects an increase in prostitution and human trafficking as the unemployment rate climbs during the economic downturn.
The poor Southeast Asian nation has been trying hard in recent years to rid itself of its reputation as a haven for perverts and pedophiles, but with limited success.
Mam, in Singapore to raise funds for the group, said it was culturally acceptable to keep a girl for a week and rape her to improve one's health and luck in Cambodia, or to cure HIV. Some of the victims she has seen are only a few months old.
The U.N. estimates that out of the two million women and children trafficked every year, 30 percent are in Asia.
At the AFESIP shelters, the women and girls, some as young as four, receive medical and psychological treatment. They are also taught English, French and vocational skills such as weaving and hairdressing so they can fit back into society.
One batch is heading to a university in the United States this year.
"The children in the shelter, they keep me going. They are my everything, my light, my love - they are my heroes," said Mam, who traced her dramatic journey from sex slave to crusader against prostitution in a memoir, "The Road of Lost Innocence."
The Cambodian activist also faces threats, occasionally veiled but always frightening, from pimps and organized crime syndicates on a daily basis in her struggle to eradicate sexual slavery and human trafficking.
"If they want to kill, they kill," Mam said. "Organized crime, they are all very organized. But the people who are against organized crime, no one is well organized. So now they have to stop talking and start working."
(Editing by Neil Chatterjee and Miral Fahmy)
One of the most pressing concerns Mam, who crusades against forced prostitution, is facing is scarce funding for the shelter she helped start for women and girls who are abused and coerced into the sex trade in Cambodia and neighboring countries.
The current credit crunch also has had a effect on the number of women and children turning to prostitution to survive and the ability of Mam to care for her more than 200 charges in shelters.
"Since we opened the shelter, I always face this problem. Like the last five months, no rice, we cannot feed the children," Mam, of Agir pour les Femmes En Situation Precaire (AFESIP or Acting for Women in Distressing Situations), told Reuters.
AFESIP, a largely Spanish-funded grass-roots group, requires about $1.5 million annually to fund its efforts in Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam and Laos, Mam said. She also travels around the world to raise money for the Somaly Mam Foundation that puts a spotlight on forced prostitution.
Earlier this month, Cambodia said it expects an increase in prostitution and human trafficking as the unemployment rate climbs during the economic downturn.
The poor Southeast Asian nation has been trying hard in recent years to rid itself of its reputation as a haven for perverts and pedophiles, but with limited success.
Mam, in Singapore to raise funds for the group, said it was culturally acceptable to keep a girl for a week and rape her to improve one's health and luck in Cambodia, or to cure HIV. Some of the victims she has seen are only a few months old.
The U.N. estimates that out of the two million women and children trafficked every year, 30 percent are in Asia.
At the AFESIP shelters, the women and girls, some as young as four, receive medical and psychological treatment. They are also taught English, French and vocational skills such as weaving and hairdressing so they can fit back into society.
One batch is heading to a university in the United States this year.
"The children in the shelter, they keep me going. They are my everything, my light, my love - they are my heroes," said Mam, who traced her dramatic journey from sex slave to crusader against prostitution in a memoir, "The Road of Lost Innocence."
The Cambodian activist also faces threats, occasionally veiled but always frightening, from pimps and organized crime syndicates on a daily basis in her struggle to eradicate sexual slavery and human trafficking.
"If they want to kill, they kill," Mam said. "Organized crime, they are all very organized. But the people who are against organized crime, no one is well organized. So now they have to stop talking and start working."
(Editing by Neil Chatterjee and Miral Fahmy)
8 comments:
What about releasing them onto the streets to mitigate the effects of economic malaise in these tumultuos times in an effort to strengthen the spiritual growth; also, I'm certain that will make Puok Ah Jkuot Jruok Scum Rainsy's supporters' day.
Pi Anh: PPU
I almost cum just by reading this sad story (sic!)
I know from a friend of mine that she has adopted a young man for her crusade in bed. C'mon, let's face it, this cunt just loves her gigantic pussy stuffed with cock, she would love to ride it all day.
" Mam, in Singapore to raise funds for the group, said it was culturally acceptable to keep a girl for a week and rape her to improve one's health and luck in Cambodia, or to cure HIV. Some of the victims she has seen are only a few months old.
"
This story is true or not? I do not think, it is true as I live in Phnom Penh more than 10 years. May be she make this story to collect fund by discredit society for her benifit?
Just like Puok Ah Scum Rainsy!
Pi Anh: PPU
This woman lie!!!!!! See the link to the Website I made!
How can she say that she do not have enough money for her 200 girls when she just got 1.3 Million US Dollar from a German Consulting Group???
This is not the only money!
From Sweden she got 1.3 Million US Dollar too!!!
Bey the way there are 166 and not 200 girls in her shelter. She even do not know how many girls there are?????
In my opinion she is a Shame for Cambodia. She hate men and she want that all Cambodian men are looking bad.
She want that Foreigners are looking down on Cambodian Men!!!
She is the one which is corrupt!
http://groups.google.com/group/camdisc/browse_thread/thread/da8c581222a96592
Friday, November 14, 2008
Somaly Mam wins $1.3 million award from Munich-based Roland Berger Foundation
Cambodian woman activist given $1.3 million awardNovember 14, 2008The Associated Press
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia: A Cambodian woman activist who has spearheaded her country's battle against sex traffickers is the first recipient of an award from a recently established human rights foundation, the German Embassy announced Friday.The 1 million euro ($1.269 million) award to Somaly Mam from the Munich-based Roland Berger Foundation rivals in amount the Nobel Peace Prize, which includes a grant of 10 million Swedish kroner ($1.268 million).The Roland Berger Human Dignity Award was given to Somaly Mam — who herself is a former sex trade victim — "in recognition of her fight for a world without slavery," the German Embassy said in a statement.
It's time for the rich men to take advantage of the poor families. " LA PECHE DANS L'EAU TROUBLE." And that will continue endlessly. That's the way the KR control the people, by keeping them poor making easy to buy, votes or young girls.
The poor's trouble = the rich's golden era! Bravo Samdach decho !
YES, 4:48 PM, You are right! She's an avid cock rider.
Mam Somaly's ex-husband, France
She made up the story about her daughter being kidnapped as well. She also takes women arrested illegally by the police and refuses to release them when they want to leave.
She has millions of dollars in funding but says she has no money for rice- so where does all the money go???
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