It takes a village. It starts with one.
The Somaly Mam Foundation (SMF) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the eradication of sex slavery and the empowerment of its survivors, led by the vision and life’s work of Cambodian survivor Somaly Mam. Founded in 2007, our multilateral approach helps victims to escape their plight, empowers survivors with economic independence and as advocates and activists in next-generation change, and engages governments, corporations, and individuals in critical conversations, strategic partnerships, and actions toward real change.
We work closely with partners in Southeast Asia, where the trafficking of women and children is widespread and where, for nearly two decades, Somaly and her team have rescued women and children from exploitation and abuse and assisted them on a journey to health, hope, and economic independence. Our Voices For Change program trains survivors as advocates, activists, and leaders of next-generation change.
The deeper impact of this work can be seen in subtle shifts in cultural norms, in a proud network of entrepreneurial female survivors starting businesses and social enterprises, in open conversations on human trafficking in mass media, in strategic government and police partnerships, and in a growing trust in the rule of law, critical to combating corruption and protecting the victims.
But rebuilding lives and tackling the root causes of the problem requires patience, understanding, and resources. Somaly's approach has always been one by one, drop by drop, life by life, and she is living proof that change can start with just one.
Click to read about the journey from victim to survivor.
photo by Juan Yepes