Sarah Stroschein, (left to right) Nicole Severson and Laura Senko are part of the organization Saving Hope International. (Times photos by Jason Wachter, jwachter@stcloudtim)May 25, 2008
By Frank Lee
St. Cloud Times (Minnesota, USA)
SAUK RAPIDS — Children should not be having sex — period.
But many children around the world are being exploited for sex, according to Nicole Severson, who started a nonprofit organization to bring attention to the atrocity.
“We want to learn more about these children who have been sold into the sex trade — children as young as 3, some say — because we’ve been horrified by the research,” said Severson, president and founder of Saving Hope International.
The recent St. Cloud State University graduate will fly to Phnom Penh, Cambodia, today with a Web designer and a videographer to capture what they see and can learn about the sex trade there.
As of last year, the United Nations estimates 30 percent of the sex workers in Phnom Penh were younger than 18.
“Our goal is to go into Cambodia not with the mentality of ‘We know what you need’ but to assess what they need, to talk to other nonprofits that are already there and just kind of figure out what we can do and what our role will be,” she said.
Saving Hope International became recognized as a tax-exempt charitable organization in November. Its goal is focus attention on child sex workers and victims “to carry their story through imagery to the world.”
Sarah Stroschein, a St. Cloud State junior majoring in graphic design, and Laura Senko, a 28-year-old documentarian from Toronto, will accompany Severson on the monthlong trip.
“The research I’ve done is that the average age of a young girl being exploited is somewhere between 11 and 14 years old,” Severson said.
The 28-year-old from St. Cloud graduated with a major in nonprofit management and minor in photojournalism. She will be putting both knowledge areas to use in Cambodia, a country the group has not visited. The trip to Cambodia is the volunteer organization’s first major project.
“I lived in Mozambique, Africa, for three months in 1999, where there was a girl — one of many — whose home had been invaded by rebels and she was raped continuously over a period of time,” Severson said.
The United Nations estimates that 700,000 to 4 million women and children are trafficked globally. The highest concentration — 225,000 people — is estimated to come from Southeast Asia.
“I’ve gone overseas and seen the poverty and deprivation, so my heart has always been to bring hope to these children, which is why I called my organization Saving Hope International,” Severson said.
But many children around the world are being exploited for sex, according to Nicole Severson, who started a nonprofit organization to bring attention to the atrocity.
“We want to learn more about these children who have been sold into the sex trade — children as young as 3, some say — because we’ve been horrified by the research,” said Severson, president and founder of Saving Hope International.
The recent St. Cloud State University graduate will fly to Phnom Penh, Cambodia, today with a Web designer and a videographer to capture what they see and can learn about the sex trade there.
As of last year, the United Nations estimates 30 percent of the sex workers in Phnom Penh were younger than 18.
“Our goal is to go into Cambodia not with the mentality of ‘We know what you need’ but to assess what they need, to talk to other nonprofits that are already there and just kind of figure out what we can do and what our role will be,” she said.
Saving Hope International became recognized as a tax-exempt charitable organization in November. Its goal is focus attention on child sex workers and victims “to carry their story through imagery to the world.”
Sarah Stroschein, a St. Cloud State junior majoring in graphic design, and Laura Senko, a 28-year-old documentarian from Toronto, will accompany Severson on the monthlong trip.
“The research I’ve done is that the average age of a young girl being exploited is somewhere between 11 and 14 years old,” Severson said.
The 28-year-old from St. Cloud graduated with a major in nonprofit management and minor in photojournalism. She will be putting both knowledge areas to use in Cambodia, a country the group has not visited. The trip to Cambodia is the volunteer organization’s first major project.
“I lived in Mozambique, Africa, for three months in 1999, where there was a girl — one of many — whose home had been invaded by rebels and she was raped continuously over a period of time,” Severson said.
The United Nations estimates that 700,000 to 4 million women and children are trafficked globally. The highest concentration — 225,000 people — is estimated to come from Southeast Asia.
“I’ve gone overseas and seen the poverty and deprivation, so my heart has always been to bring hope to these children, which is why I called my organization Saving Hope International,” Severson said.
8 comments:
It's a terrible in which we live. The stomach yearns for food and the devils would exploit the weak with such an opportunity. Thy Kingdom come Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. Amen. And welcome to Cambodia and best of luck to you fine young ladies. Have a great adventure and joy.
It's a terrible world, I meant to write.
Please accept my sincere appreciation for such good hearts like yourselves Ladies. When I was a little boy in Cambodia, all I wanted was food, nothing else. There are many kids in that position theseday.
Again, my hat off for your good hearts.
Chan,
Tha is the dictatorship in Cambodia!!The poor are the most!!!and Hun Xen's government want that the situation will be not better,because it is very easy for the communist dictator govern!!!every communist country do that in asia and the unknowledge Hun Xen want the khmer to be very poor,and need only the food!!!
Thank you for your help !!
more do gooders who think that Cambodia is the sex trade county of the world- why don't they go to Las Vegas and save those working girls.
hey, how can you get that idea, dude? Anyway, show them appreciation. If they're to teach Khmer girls christianism, they will never spit on our tradition. I say this because I often see that some Khmer pastors, sometomes mix the God's messages with
the insult to their ancestors'tradition.
Again and again we here this shit about girls as young as 3 in the sex trade . Why dose someone not come up with the evidence.
''we've been horrified by the research'' says Severson. Well I am horrified by their bullshit, because I have done my own investigation and have asked for young girls available in many brothels and have never found any .
if you go to the brothels openly and directly ,you will not find them.there is a way to find them.some know that well.
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