Last week, SMF's Advocacy Team provided classroom training for SCAO's Human Trafficking Project in Phnom Penh.
SCAO is a nonprofit organization which, translated, stands for "Save Poor Children in Asia." SCAO has two schools, one in Phnom Penh and one outside of Phnom Penh. Students range from age three up to age 30.
The SMF team members provided training to the students as part of SCAO's "Human Trafficking Project:" an initiative aimed at educating students about the realities of human trafficking and modern slavery, and training them on proper recognition and response to a situation of trafficking.
According to SCAO, sex trade workers (both victims of trafficking and non-victims) are a common sight for students who travel into the city for school. Until now, the circumstances and issues surrounding Cambodia's sex trade have not been discussed, and students are left to come to their own conclusions. SCAO's Human Trafficking Project and the SMF Advocacy Team's educational sessions provided critical information and open dialogue for students, preparing them to recognize and address a situation of human trafficking in the future.