The Somaly Mam Foundation
From the site (http://www.somaly.org/)
Every day victims of human trafficking face a world without possibility. These victims have endured worse than what most of us can imagine and they have overcome difficult odds to survive in a harsh reality. Their courage is something we can all aspire to.
No longer will we look upon these young people as helpless. They are strong individuals with much to offer the world and their voices call for global change. The Somaly Mam Foundation will ensure that these voices are exposed to the world and from those who have struggled through the pain of slavery will arise a new generation of leaders who stand for freedom and justice.
Not long ago a friend shared the name of an online video about something too trivial to recall. And, as usually happens, watching that one video led to watching the next and the next until...WHAM...I was struck in the chest by a short documentary on human trafficking. (Unfortunately, I ran across that video so randomly that I am unable to find it again.)
I was not unaware of this travesty's existence in the world. But, I guess the issue had been stuffed into that place where I put those things I can't think of too deeply and function at the same time...alongside: Darfur, burka, my daughter's virginity, global warming, genital mutilation, puppy mills...
I do not make this list to make light of tragedy. It is just an observation of how we all must compartmentalize this world's horrors in order to go through the daily motions of living. However, it seems, the more we pack into the compartment, the thicker our armor of apathy becomes....but maybe that is another post for another time....
About Somaly Mam from Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Somaly_Mam):
She was born in the Mondulkiri province of Cambodia. Mam was sold into sexual slavery in her childhood. Beaten, raped and tortured as a child, at the age of 30 she became a spokeswoman for women and children tortured in the brothels of Cambodia. She, with her husband Pierre Legros, created the AFESIP (Agir pour les Femmes en Situation Précaire) NGO in 1997 in Cambodia. Since then, this international NGO has developed in Thailand, Vietnam and Laos. Its goals are to save and socially reintegrate people who are victims of these kinds of hardships. Despite threats against her, Somaly Mam has been able to help thousands of young girls and teenagers who have been coerced into prostitution.The mission of The Somaly Mam Foundation is "to give victims and survivors a voice in their lives, liberate victims, end slavery, and empower survivors as they create and sustain lives of dignity."
I am imbued with a deep admiration for Somaly Mam, and all people, who turn their own tragedy in to true positive change in the live of others.
I hope she can inspire me, and you, to find one issue or cause or deed we can allow to live outside of our armor of apathy...find one thing we can bare to look at--no matter how painful--in the interest of manifesting change for good.
The good we do for one individual life betters our collective state of being human.
Click the image below to get involved. You can also follow Somaly Mam on Facebook and MySpace.
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