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Supporting and Protecting Victims
Photo: USAID/Suzanne Ross
The New Life Center has
helped more than 1,000
women and children avoid
exploitation and make
positive change in their lives.
About a million tribal people live in more than 3,500 villages throughout Thailand. Many speak only tribal languages and cannot understand public education messages delivered in Thai. As sustaining their
traditionally nomadic lifestyle becomes more
difficult, tribal people become vulnerable to
poverty and social and economic exploitation,
especially human trafficking. Profits from
trafficking are estimated to reach over a billion
dollars a year in Thailand alone. And when
tribal girls are rescued from traffickers, there is
little support and protection available to them
while waiting to serve as witnesses in court —
a wait that can last up to five years.
USAID supports the New Life Center Foundation, a faith-based
organization that protects rescued victims and works with tribal
girls who are at risk for labor exploitation. The Center provides
120 girls with an education, a safe living environment and
training in vocational and life skills. The residents contribute to
the community’s awareness of exploitation by writing and
presenting soap operas in several local dialects for a radio
campaign that spans the greater Mekong region. The shows
reach more than 60,000 people in remote areas of Thailand,
giving them a portrayal of trafficking, violence and HIV/AIDS
that aims to change risky behavior.
Activities at the New Life Center Foundation help victims begin
to heal and start a new life. “While we wait to serve as
witnesses, we are going to school and learning skills to support
ourselves,” said one resident. “This helps me feel more
confident about my future.”
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