"It's Better When We're Together"

By Kristina Novak

I have always admired the dedication and focus of people willing to put aside small differences and be ready to connect with others to increase the quality and impact of their work. Margaret Mead, a great anthropologist and social reformer, understood well, the power of dedicated individuals working together for a common purpose.

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.”

Now imagine that there is not one but many groups of dedicated individuals - each person is different, yet working together for a common goal.  What happens when such a coalition forms? The impact increases, lessons are shared, accountability grows and gaps are filled with the various skill sets.

This is the case for Chab Dai. In Khmer, the name literally means “joining of hands” and that’s what it really is -  a set of connected organizations that vary in expertise and have one common purpose - to fight human trafficking and exploitation. I love witnessing how this ethos results in providing better protection from exploitation and care for survivors.

One of the ways Chab Dai facilitates better connectivity between its members is through various forums such as Child Protection, Aftercare and our Social Work forum. The day is usually spent in sharing lessons learned and looking at best practices and challenges that may lay ahead as well as create space for the forming of new partnerships.  

When it comes to collaboration, there is one forum that I really appreciate right now, which is our Outreach Forum. The Chab Dai members that work in direct outreach to the vulnerable and exploited children, women, men and the transgender community here in Cambodia (altogether 44 participants from 17 organizations), spent a day sharing their work and learning from each other’s field experience.

Collaboration was unfolding right in front of my eyes. As I was taking notes of the meeting and hearing stories from the field, I could not help but admire each individual’s hard work and dedication to serving and protecting our most vulnerable. Their dedication is mirrored by the long hours they invest in their field and by the their resilience and faith they hold for those they help. All of this came across in the presentations they shared.

But there was something else that gave the meeting its energy and focus. It was this unfolding of collaboration. With such a variety of organizations that Chab Dai coalition encompasses - even just within its outreach field - the mutually beneficial lessons, skills and resources of the forum members were quickly recognized. Participants presented on their programs, including their outreach on the streets and in entertainment establishments, running day centres, dorm houses and health clinics, and providing education and employment training. 
Q & A sessions followed each presentation which fostered dialogue on the conceptualization of collaboration for their projects. 

Alongside the building of partnerships, a short training was provided by a member organization on legal issues surrounding outreach and work with vulnerable populations. Such knowledge is essential for protection of outreach workers as well as for educating clients on their own rights in Cambodian law. 

Apart from the presentations, participants engaged in a “Service Mapping” exercise by marking out the geographical areas of their outreach on maps of Phnom Penh and Cambodia. They also used colour coded papers to show data about their services:  Orange indicated "Who For?" (client group), Pink - "Where?" (The establishment), Green answered the "What?" (services and programs), and Yellow indicated "When?" (Night or day). On its completion, the final product had a clear visual of the existing services and mapped out areas of possible collaboration.

It is truly inspiring to see the manifold impact a simple connection can have.  After all, as a line from one song goes, “it’s better when we’re together.” The Outreach Forum organized by Chab Dai was one such space where, even as the forum was progressing, new partnerships formed and the lessons shared were turned into action strategies. I call that a time well spent. Together.

Voluntourism

Written by guest blogger Miranda Kerr, currently volunteering for Chab Dai in Cambodia.

This week in Cambodia, a report was released stating that an Australian-run orphanage had been shut down in an emergency response to human trafficking and abuse (you can read the article here SISHA - Emergency Shutdown).

Before leaving this year, friends would sometimes confuse my plans of working in a school with 'Miranda's trip to an orphanage in Cambodia'. Without taking any offense that my friends didn't know my actual plans (well actually Jemma, I regularly took offense that you couldn't get it right), this little sentence made me cringe inside and I instantly felt the need to say 'no, no - I'm not working in an orphanage'. Why?

Here's why. 

Cambodia's tourism has been booming over the last few years. People are coming here to see the the stunning and ancient temples in Siem Reap, to learn more about the Khmer Rouge regime in Phnom Penh's museums and to soak up the sun and beach down south in Kep. Most come here with the best intentions and when they arrive, the poverty they face draws them to say something along the lines of 'I need to do something'. Keen to help this war-torn country, increasing numbers of tourists are now also working as volunteers.

Unfortunately, well-intentioned volunteers have helped to create a surge in the number of residential care homes (orphanages), tempting impoverished parents with promises of an education and western-style upbringing. In 'worst cases' these children are 'rented' or even 'bought' from their families because they are perceived to be of more value by earning money pretending to be a poor orphan than studying and eventually graduating from school. Parents 'willingly' send their kids to these institutions believing (through the lies they are told) it will provide their child with a better life. Unfortunately in very many cases, it won't.

Orphanages rely on donations and know that the more children they have in their care, the more 'at risk' and 'in need' they are and therefore, more likely to receive funding. Unfortunately, in many of these institutions (but not all), very little of the money donated will ever actually assist the children who will remain living in sub-standard conditions. The orphanages have also relied on the big hearts and curiosity of tourists who are invited into the facility and asked to stay and play with the children.

I get it. I once did that. 

In Hoi An, Vietnam - my friend and I visited an orphanage run by an Irish woman that we'd heard about at a local cafe. It was a warm and fuzzy sort of experience at the time. Cuddling little children and playing games with them before sharing the lychees we'd purchased as a gift before entering. We'd left a donation at the end of the day and (as 19 year olds on our first trip through South-East Asia) promised that we'd return. 

We didn't - and it's taken me 7 years now to reflect on that experience. 

The 19 year old me walked away thinking that somehow I'd made a difference in the lives of those kids. I'd put a smile on their face. I'd given them fruit. I'd given them love, hope, blah blah - who knows what I thought I gave them. 

Really - a stranger, speaking a foreign language, entered their home, took photos, gave them food, held them, waved goodbye and never returned. 

When would that ever be OK in Australia? Or anywhere?

This is SUCH a massive topic and debate for people working with vulnerable children and victims of human trafficking here in Phnom Penh, and mixed in with the heat - doesn't take much to get the blood boiling when reports like the one released by SISHA this morning come out.

Below is a little more information on orphanage tourism. Please, please, PLEASE consider these things before you embark on any journey that may lead you to visiting or volunteering in an orphanage.

Orphanage Tourism - ChildSafe Network This document seeks to assist travelers and volunteers in finding a way to contribute, yet avoid situations or actions that may lead to child exploitation. Certain 'tourist attractions' such as orphanage tours exploit children's vulnerabilities. 

ChildSafe Questions and Answers

Blog post borrowed from Miranda's personal blog, My Traffick Jam.

Invest in a Childsafe Holiday

Summer is the best time to jet out of town for a few days or weeks. The kids are out of school, the weather is nice, and you've got those few vacation days saved up. If you are planning on vacationing in Southeast Asia, you are likely to have loads of options for hotels and hostels, tuk-tuks and moto-drivers, resturants and taverns. Even though you are on holiday you can still uphold the ideals of the organizations you suport by choosing child safe options.

What do I mean by this? Well it's truly simple. All you need to do is choose lodgings, transportation, and dining options that follow the ChildSafe International guidelines. Child safe businesses are trained to look for sexual abuse in children. When a child is spotted in danger they alert the proper local authorities. Tuk-tuks and moto drivers are trained to help stop the trafficking before it can even happen by refusing to give information to travelers of places selling children for purposes of prostitution. Even internet cafe's are places where pedophiles can lure children, but Childsafe member internet cafes have trained staff to recognize such deviant behavior. To identify and support these business's in Cambodia visit: http://www.childsafe-international.org/CAMBODIA/CSCambodia.asp

Also, be aware of your surroundings and follow these tips from the Childsafe Network:

• Though it sounds harsh avoid buying gums, cd's/dvd's, and books from children, and refrain from giving to begging children. If you do not, it tells the child this is an easy way to make money, rather then encouraging him or her to seek education or job training.
• Purchase things instead made by parents or youth in training. Doing so supports a stable and sustainable enviornment for children. 
• Avoid situations and attractions that lead to child exploitation, this includes visiting slums and orphanages for photo ops. It is a child's home and they too have a right to privacy.
• Do not take a child to your hotel room for any reason. Even if you just want to give a child a safe place to sleep for the night, notify a local NGO or government official rather then running the risk of being caught as a pedophile.
• Avoid places that tolerate prostitution (ie... bars and karaokes that allow sex workers and johns to dine or drink together) as many of these men and women in prostitution are underage. These business clearly are under the category of exploiting minors, therefore they do not need your financial support or presence.
• Keep your eyes open. Often travelers can help local NGO's and governmental organizations by reporting situations when a child is in danger. If you see such a situation please see:  www.interpol.org or contact the local authorities immediatly.

Enjoy your Childsafe summer holiday!

Our Largest Member Meeting Ever!

Last week we hosted our twelfth bi-annual Member Meeting with a record 180 stakeholders representing over 45 organizations in Cambodia. Chab Dai Coalition has now grown to 50 members, and as we continue growing there is an opportunity to also push-up from minimum standards to best practice standards! So, our focus this May was encouraging a “Commitment to Excellence” and promoting best practices in four main areas: protection, collaboration, participation, & transparency.

The following are a few reflection following the meeting, from a volunteer who joined Chab Dai for the first time and was especially encouraged by the participants’ joint-vision of ‘joining hands’ with each other!

When I arrived at the large conference room I was in awe to see it full of mostly Cambodian faces… these are the men and women doing the grassroots work of combatting human trafficking.

One of the best features of such a large meeting was the extensive networking, facilitated by a time of Speed Networking [see photo above, right] where we were asked to obtain contact information from five new people. Further connections were encouraged over coffee breaks and lunch.

On the second day of the meeting, we focused on child protection training. We called it the first-ever "Paperless Training" in Cambodia! For the day we were divided into four Khmer groups and one English group. Each group rotated through scenarios acted out by young volunteer actors that focused on a specific child protection issue. The participants engaged in the scenarios by exclaiming “STOP” when they felt the actions demonstrated were inappropriate. After, the person chose either speaking out what should be different or coming forward to take an actor's place. It was definitely a fun day of active learning!

If you didn't follow our live coverage on Twitter or Facebook during the meeting, check out the photos!

Next month Chab Dai’s leaders will be doing a road trip to visit every member, for members who want to commit to excellence, and sign The Chab Dai Charter that was joint-drafted at the meeting.

National Minimum Standards Training in Phnom Penh

Today Chab Dai trainers, Sithy & Sokha, finished a three-day training about the Cambodian government's Policy and Minimum Standards for the Protection of the Rights of Victims of Human Trafficking (2009). Over 28 social workers, house mothers, and project managers working in aftercare programs attended.

Along with Chab Dai, organizations like World Vision, The Asia Foundation, and USAID are supporting & implementing these training workshops to stakeholders across Cambodia this year. The policy includes guidelines to improve victim treatment and protection: outlining the rights of victims, instructions for case management, alternative care options, and the role of staff. Later, monitoring and evaluation strategies will be done by the government to ensure that shelters are operating with best practices.

"It's very helpful!" Sithy exclaimed after the training, "Now they understand more about human trafficking and good standards."

Read more from The Asia Foundation's website about Cambodia's landmark policy, which was passed by the Ministry of Social Affairs in 2009.

:: Launch :: Media & Communications Policy ::

As you well know already, Chab Dai is committed to promoting best practices & the highest standard of programming to care for child & adult survivors, victims, and those at-risk of exploitation, or human trafficking. We believe that this same principle also applies to HOW we promote, educate, and raise funds for these programs.

We want to promote DIGNITY & HOPE, as well as ensure truth in our communications, nor compromising confidentiality or safety either. So about a year ago we started on a journey, searching high and low [in printed resources & the Bible] for best practices and examples.

And we shared these findings with our members, consulting them to glean from their experiences about how we could actually apply what we had read [book knowledge always sounds too good!]. We met over coffees, in forums with shelter directors around a large table, via email dialogues, and at our last member meeting with over 100 national and expat staff.

So we are proud to say that THIS is what WE have come up with.

We hope you will read it.

Share it.

And apply it.

Are children sex slaves? 

Are they child prostitutes?

No, and no.

Is using a picture of a crying child sitting alone in a vulnerable situation dignifying OR safe?

We don’t think so.

Even if you are not a professional photographer, working with a non-profit, or a writer, YOU DO have a responsibility.

Do you have:

Facebook?

Twitter?

YouTube?

See, you do have a voice. Use it to promote SAFETY, TRUTH, & DIGNITY!