Let’s congratulate Kandieng (PP-3158), who had successfully completed her sewing skills training from Tom Dy shelter of AFESIP, has been starting to open her seamstress business in her home town in a province located a long Cambodian and Thai border.

She had forcibly been stopped studying by herself at grade 3 of primary school due to poverty because her family could not afford to support her school cost,in order to help her family in farming. She got married to her rapist and divorced later since her husband took a second wife and so often her family had domestic violence.

In 2011, she had found out AFESIP through her older sister, who was one of residents whom had been raped by foster father and referred to AFESIP by provincial department of Women’s Affairs received care and training in Tom Dy shelter, and she made a decision to undertake vocational skills training in sewing in Tom Dy shelter. While she stayed in shelter she had received psychosocial counseling, health care, other life skills, Khmer literacy, basic English and computer…

She had completed her sewing skills training in 2014 and took internship with her older sister. She reintegrated to her hometown with an initial support of sewing business starting kit of $700. She is very happy with business by utilizing the skills she was trained in from AFESIP and gets favorable support from family and community. “I have been receiving a good support from my sister and parents; I feel proud of standing here with my promising new life” she said. The father has also expressed his delight and support to her. The support she has been receiving from AFESIP is not yet ended we continue follow-up her on her business progress, psychology, health and support her on a regular basis when needed.

This is one of the cases that many women and children, in Cambodia, are facing. The victim or high-risk women and children that AFESIP works with have had their basic human rights violated and have been subjected to some of the worst forms of exploitation and abuse, both physically and mentally. The vast majority comes from backgrounds of extreme poverty and many already have histories, which include domestic violence or rape before the event of trafficking took place. All of them are female and have struggled against gender-based discrimination most of their lives. Consequently, support, resources and opportunities available to them are extremely limited and socially, they are marginalised by their societies.

We would like to thank you very much to our supporter and donors, without your contribution and support we could not reach our goal. Your generosity is contributing to make a difference for many lives of women and children who are in need of special protection. We need your ongoing support at any way of your capacity to keep our programs operate. We cannot change the world but together we can make a better place and peace to free these women and children from abusive and vulnerable situation.