The Butterfly Project: How We Began and Some Thoughts About 'Trust' and 'Disclosure'.......

A number of Chab Dai aftercare organizations in Cambodia expressed their desire to understand more about the long-term impacts of their programs on victims/survivors of sexual exploitation and trafficking. At this time, no one organization had the capacity to conduct long-term follow up on their clients leaving their programs. Hence, the idea of a cooperative effort began to grow. The Butterfly Project is the first longitudinal re-integration research study that seeks to follow a group of sexually exploited/trafficked youth and adults over a ten year period. We started in 2010 and we are now in year five of our journey.

The core objectives of the Butterfly research are two-fold.  The first objective is to hear the ‘voice’ of victims/survivors who have (re-) integrated out of aftercare and community programs, and through their ‘voice’ they can inform the practitioner community in Cambodia. The second objective is to disseminate our findings and lessons learned amongst mixed audiences of other practitioners, policy makers and academics within the wider region and global community.

The Butterfly project is like any other study in that participation is voluntary. A participant has the right to drop out at any time. Yet, when the point of the study is to follow a group of the same people over a period of time, then attrition or dropping out is an issue. We anticipated this challenge from the beginning and, at five years, we are still in contact with the majority of our 128 participants. Aside from working hard to maintain the database on our participants’ most current whereabouts, we believe the primary reason they voluntarily remain in our study is because they trust us (the research team).

Essentially, every participant in our study has experienced some degree of sexual trauma, and a number of studies suggest that severe trauma exposure results in and is associated with negative impacts on memory. We sense this may be true for some of our participants, as year to year their answers vary and even contradict what they have said previously. We also find participants’ varying emotional states, their family dynamics, their relationships and their financial securities are all matters which affect how they respond at any given interview. Many of our older participants are in violent and abusive relationships whilst younger participants often describe difficulties with their peers. Others work in dangerous work contexts, and most are struggling to meet their economic needs.

Most of our participants live with feeling stigmatized for their past experiences of sexual exploitation and so most live with many secrets. We have found that as each year progresses, increasing numbers of participants are telling us they trust us enough to disclose more of their stories. They express how therapeutic it feels to share their feelings and experiences with our team.

Many have also told us they continue in the study because they feel valued as individuals and not just subjects in a research project. They state that they feel respected, appreciated and honored because we ask them about their lives and their opinions. In addition, a number of them have stated that they appreciate the opportunity to express their ‘voice’ because they hope their insights and experiences will help others in similar circumstance.

Our team feels each participant is unique. We are thankful they trust us enough and are willing to express their ‘voice.’  It is such a privilege to journey along with them, and we hope through their stories they feel empowered and that their voice will empower future generations.

If you would like any of our annual reports and themed papers please visit the Chab Dai website

www.chabdai.org

Siobhan Miles, Butterfly manager

The Learning Approach

By Luke Weatherson

My job did not exist 10 years ago and if it did when I applied for university, I was certainly unaware of it. In the most general sense, graduating with a degree in Social Work provided me with the skills to do a few things very well in the context in which they were needed. Equally as important, attaining a degree taught me the concept of a learning approach, which entails the mindset to always learn and gives you a perspective on how to learn and understand new concepts, operations and people. 

Currently, as the Freedom Registry’s Expansion Coordinator, I support the expansion of our interactive stakeholder database, our learning community and anti-human trafficking commons.  I am in situations I could not have anticipated back in my university days and the learning approach has accompanied me this entire journey, enabling me to articulate, digest and deeply understand my situations and experiences.

My experience in the anti-trafficking sector actually began on less of a learning curve within the theoretical construct of a learning approach but eventually I implemented the learning approach by questioning each new thing on the premise of how it functions without prior knowledge or skill set to handle and assess the situation. 

The quick international growth of Freedom Registry reinforced this learning approach, as we often have to jump between national contexts daily which requires a learning approach. For example, it is necessary to understand the nature of trafficking in Singapore or the role of a Nepali network in fightight against trafficking within their own cultural context and requires an open interpretation and essentially "beginner" eyes, to find the relations in between the static and (dis)connections.

Through our work at Chab Dai, we also see that we are on a learning curve as well, where the most important skill we use is this learning approach.  We see it in our organizational development, through adapting to new circumstances and being proactive to the changes we can anticipate. I’m confident that our members see themselves in a similar light as well.

The learning approach is simple, it’s an attitude that I do not have all the answers and I want to know as much as I can.  At the heart is problem solving, because when we discover the consequences or outcomes from our procedures and orientations, and through reflection on our past, we can construct our own understanding. Learning then becomes an active process that demands change within the learner.   This is then achieved through the activities that we engage in, the outcomes that are produced and finally, a reflection that brings a deep learning curve within ourselves. Applying it is even simpler and you are probably already using. It’s just a matter of focusing and being open to the myriad of possibilities that arise in a situation and taking action. 

When Helping does not Hurt … (Paying it Forward)

By Kristina Novak

We have countless conversations in our office on what effective help looks like.  For me, it’s never an easy, clear-cut answer. I like to look at the long-term impact. Will this initiative be a sustainable grassroots-driven solution over time?  Is it based on a correct understanding of what the problem is?  Or is it just a quick fix – a plaster that covers the pain for a while, making one feel useful and helpful, but does not deal with the source of the problem. Does it have the purpose and infrastructure to empower individuals to live independently of the aid once it’s gone and become agents of change in their own communities?

Additionally, how do we measure the impact of aid correctly? Some indicators of change show up fast. To measure a long-term impact, we have to collect data over time and observe the shifts in the environment. Seeing a positive change on an individual and at the community level is not only rewarding, but to me, is truly motivating. This is part of the reason I really enjoy working with Chab Dai. I get to witness the impact both our Khmer and expat teams have in fighting exploitation and human trafficking. I see this impact in the lives of individuals that are empowered by education and in the increase of options that are made accessible to them. I also get to see the awareness that is created within a community and the shifts in policy towards better protection of the vulnerable.

A previous blog post talked about the unsung Khmer heroes that do pioneering work in their own communities. My colleagues, both expat and Khmer, are truly inspiring people in the way they live, work and how they deal with the challenges of either living cross-culturally or as nationals of a post conflict country. One of my Khmer colleagues, Sopharith, recently shared his thoughts on what motivates him to do the work he does. Because his story greatly inspired me, I would like to share it. It points to how long-term effects of good aid impact not only the individual but the community as well.   

Sopharith manages Chab Dai’s Doorsteps project and with his team, they work to build the capacity of local grassroots leaders. They offer training on project cycle management and grant acquisition, mentoring leaders and also training on counseling and social work skills.  Doorsteps’ work has significant impact in Cambodian communities. Sopharith shared with me that his inspiration to do the work of capacity building comes in part from his childhood experience. As thousands of other Cambodians did, he grew up in a refugee camp during the civil war that followed the collapse of Khmer Rouge. Conditions in the camp must not have been easy but Sopharith has fond memories of the aid workers who administered the aid. 

“These people worked very hard,” he said. “They also helped to build up our capacity by providing education to us. They inspired me to do the same, to help the people in my country. I love my job at Chab Dai because I too can now work to build capacity of Khmer people and see them become agents of change in their communities.”

Sopharith’s story inspires me. It shows that effective aid empowers not only independence, but a motivation and ability to empower others. Thank you Sopharith and everyone who works hard to contribute to positive, long term change.