Chab Dai Learning Community Team headed to the provinces this week to encourage, support, and provide training for our members working in Siem Reap.
Where is Siem Reap?
Siem Reap is the top tourist destination in Cambodia, located in the northwest region, about 5 hours from the capitol city of Phnom Penh. It houses the ever-stunning Angkor Wat temples that were built in the 9th-13th centuries, at the height of the Khmer Empire.
Despite the face of the quaint tourist town, which is overflowing with souvenir shops, guesthouses, and cafes, the province of Siem Reap indeed has the 3rd highest level of poverty in Cambodia. More than 80% of its residents are farmers, and 50% of the population lives below the poverty line.
For better & for worse, the number of international tourists coming to Siem Reap annually is increasingly enormously. In 1993 there were an average of 7,000 tourists. Today there are 2 million tourists annually!
While we can see the benefits of this, for example better infrastructure and job creation in this region, Chab Dai members have also seen a direct correlation in the growing number of human trafficking, exploitation, and abuse cases being reported.
So, they responded!
As a coalition, in 2008 we discussed the likelihood that growing tourism would translate into becoming a hotspot for trafficking & exploitation (also not to mention that it is 2 hours from the Thai border). We encouraged members to open field offices and projects in this area to proactively and reactively address the issues of sex tourism and commercial sexual exploitation.
A few bold organizations made the move!
Now they have started offices, networked with local police & partner agencies, and are working with children who are at-risk & survivors of human trafficking.
At our meeting this week we had 50 member staff present, including caregivers, directors, social workers, and counselors. We asked those who had been working in the field of trafficking & exploitation to raise their hands.Only 6 hands were raised!
The difficulty, on top of lacking experienced staff, is that the majority of trainings are only in Phnom Penh (a day-long bus ride away, both ways). Limited human resources & time constraints had our members pleading with us to be more present in Siem Reap.
How did Chab Dai respond?
Nope, we are not opening our first field office. But we are responding with a 6-month commitment to be in Siem Reap one week every month, during which time we will facilitate trainings, cross visits, share resources, and show our support for the work they are doing.
International Director, Helen Sworn, made it clear this week that they are not alone. In fact, she can remember the same scenario and struggles in 2005, when Chab Dai first began. Her words were full of hope, as she encouraged the staff that they have an exciting role to play as they “forage prickly unknown territory” in Siem Reap; and emphasized that they are not alone!
To kick off our 6-month commitment plan, we organized aweek of activities targeting not only directors & managers, but all caregivers as well. The week included:
- a meeting with all our members in the region,
- job-based support groups,
- trainings on minimum standards & child protection,
- a forum lunch discussion about medical procedures,
- and a facilitated cross-visit to one of our members.
Beyond this week, we created the framework for members to continue learning from each other & practicing solidarity. Three practitioner peer groups will meet monthly for encouragement & sharing.
At the end of 6-months Chab Dai will evaluate the impact the trainings, peer groups, and meetings had on raising the quality of care for victims & survivors of trafficking, abuse & exploitation.
If you are planning a visit to Siem Reap, check out ConCERT Cambodia for volunteer/ donation options, and Child Safe Network for SAFE hotel & dining option.
Chab Dai’s Urban Prevention Project also works in Siem Reap.
