I still remember the day we had to decide our Community Service Quan Cais. There was a big fair in the courtyard where every Community Service had a stall and portrayed exactly what students would do if they joined that particular Service. A service which attracted my attention was Traffik Link – a service which worked towards stopping all kinds of human trafficking. However, I was not completely aware of the issue. Human trafficking, and especially sex trafficking is a taboo topic in Pakistan and not many people talk about it. I was not even sure whether sex trafficking really exists in Pakistan. I knew about the brothels in Lahore, but I did not know how women and children were treated there and what the exact conditions were. I had never thought or talked about it with anyone before so I decided not to join that service. I went with Help for Domestic Helpers (a service which helps domestic helpers in Hong Kong by giving them legal advice.) However, I soon realized that the problems of domestic helpers are largely linked to trafficking. When I decided to do a GIF (presentation in the Global Issues Forum) on Migrant workers in the Middle East and the problems they face, I saw that most of the workers were actually trafficked into other countries and thus not given their rights. Then, I started to find out more about trafficking in Pakistan. I remember watching music videos on channel V in my lounge in Pakistan and getting annoyed by the endless ads on T.V of “End Human Trafficking Now” when I was 13. It had all made little sense to me. However, now in LPCUWC, I began to realize the gravity of the situation.
So when I had to choose my project week for 2011, I decided to sign up for Cambodia Anti-Sex Trafficking Project. I still did not fully understand what I was signing up for. However, the one week in Cambodia completely and utterly changed me in a way that no trip ever has. It made me learn countless skills, taught me endless lessons, gave me realizations, inspiration, hope, love, happiness, laughter, tears, and most importantly, an aim and a vision.
Although I wrote notes throughout the trip, I feel giving a summary of each day will not be of much purpose. However I would like to write down my summary of the first day and then a general outline of the whole trip.
We were going to the AFESIP Campong Cheng Centre in Phnom Penh which had been started by Somali Mam and which was located in the area where Somali Mam herself was trafficked. The girls in the centre were from the age of 3 to 17 who had been saved or protected from being trafficked. Most of them had gone through a lot and our main aim was to interact with them, play with them and give them happiness, to not make them feel discriminated, and make them feel part of the community and give them hope.
Day 1
After a long plane and bus journey, we finally reached the AFESIP Campong Cheng Centre. When I entered, I saw many many girls. Some were more open than others. I remember hugging a lot of girls that very first moment we got there, but I also saw some withdrawn girls who just sat somewhere or looked at us from behind pillars. Many were over-joyed and helped us with the luggage. After keeping the luggage, we immediately got into a circle with all the girls and all the volunteers and girls introduced themselves. That broke the ice to some extent. The next game we played was “boom chika chika boom” where one person goes in the middle and does a small move or funky dance while saying “boom chika chika boom” aloud, and then the rest of the people in the circle follows him/her. The game gets harder as it progresses, and I felt it was a perfect game to get the girls confident in front of us. However, after a while, I realized some girls were not playing, so I went and sat with them. We had two translators for the trip, so I called one translator with me. I began by asking their names and ages. We started off by telling each other about ourselves, then they asked me to tell them funny stories. I think I did a good job, because I involved GV (the Cambodian volunteer who the girls absolutely love) in them, and in the end they were laughing without control. Through out the first day, we played several ice-breakers, and the girls gradually became closer to us. We ate lunch with them, and then played ball games like volleyball and football. We also did several dances, and played, talked and ate with them the whole day because it was a Saturday and they had no school. By 9 PM I was completely exhausted but in high spirits to see the amount of energy these girls possessed. I slept thinking how courageous and amazing the girls were.
The rest of the days
During the rest of the days I had a lot of amazing conversations with the girls, did a lot of South Asian, African and Latin American dance, painted faces, blew lots of balloons, and played a lot of boom chika chika boom and other various games. We would sleep in the centre in rooms filled with thin mats and mosquitos. I made sure I put mosquito repellant every 6 hours, and to drink ample water to avoid a cold or dehydration. We woke up every morning at 5 am and had breakfast at 6 am with the girls. They would come hold my hand and take me to the place where we ate and all of them wanted me to sit on their table. I felt so loved. From Monday to Thursday they went to school so various children would be gone at different periods of the day. However, some girls were always present to sit and talk to or play with. We had lunch at 11 and dessert at 3, and dinner at 5. Every time it was time for the meals, the girls would come screaming “Niambi, Niami” (Eat rice in Khmer) Yes, we did eat rice for all the meals but that was all part of the whole experience.
I have never done so much South Asian dance in my life, and been so appreciated for it. The girls absolutely adored it as it reminded them of all the bollywood movies they had seen on TV. Getting told I looked like a bollywood actress was special and hilarious. Honestly, the girls were the most loving and caring children I have seen in a long time. So, I put all my effort and energy into doing the dance to Bollywood’s hit “Mauja Hi Mauja” and teaching the girls the dance steps to the song. The amount of energy and spirit they have is out of this world. They are amazing dancers. They would learn moves quicker than most other girls, and put all their efforts in perfecting them. I absolutely adored their dancing skills, flexibility and agility. They would take their hands back and touch the ground without losing their balance and made me practice every day so I could also do it. I just paused my writing for a minute here to do it again on my room’s floor. Yes, I really do miss them a lot. Every time I close my eyes, the sweet smile of Sou-khaan appears before me. Sou-khaan was the most amazing 4-year old girl I have ever seen. She was loving, helpful and full of high spirits. I became particularly close and attached to her during the trip. She would smile at me, and every time I smiled back and danced with her, her eyes would sparkle. She knew I couldn’t understand Khmer but she would sit and just talk to me in Khmer anyway while stroking my hand and providing helpful gestures. She was always ready to help: would run like wild fire to call girls if they were needed by the teacher. She would point at the cigarette burns on her face and first make a sad pouting face, and then suddenly start smiling with the expression of “these burns don’t matter as long as I’m happy.” Her expressions spoke her feelings and emotions. She would hug me sometimes and never let go. When we were leaving, she hugged me for a long time, but never cried. The last image I have of her is the same happy Sou-khaan waving her hand wildly in the air and the wide smile with the broken teeth: the smile I will never forget.
We had a reflection session on the last day after the talent show. The girls stood up and spoke out exactly what they had felt about us coming to the centre and that is what brought out all the tears in all of us. They spoke about how they were so happy that we had come, that we had not discriminated against them, that we understood what they had been through, and that we had given them hope. It was so heartening and inspiring to see their courage and bravery.
Sometimes during the trip, I got shudders when I looked at the girls living in the centre. I could not imagine a 4 year-old girl living without parents, with no mother to hug or laugh with. It hurt me to think about it but when I saw their immense courage and bravery, and smiles, it gave me strength and inspired me. The girls inspired me on so many different levels. From being so brave and helpful when there was a wild storm one night, laughing and smiling even after all they had gone through, to something as dancing brilliantly and possessing such great flexibility and balance. They taught me not to miss home so much at LPCUWC where I am away from my parents because my gloom is nothing compared to their pain and hardship. They taught me to be active at all times, ready to help other people. They taught me to dance and be happy. They taught me to live without fear, and be courageous and brave. Really, they inspired me a lot.
Most importantly, they gave me an aim and a vision. It is something that I
have to do: I have to do something about human trafficking now. After seeing the whole problem from an insider’s view, I have the urge to work for solving the problem. The smiles of all the children stay with me and I feel horrified to think that they would be in a brothel if it was not for AFESIP’s efforts to save them. It horrifies and disgusts me to think that girls and children are being raped right now and are slaves to other people. This is something that I will work for and there Is no doubt about that. The project provided me with the vision I needed and I feel I am on the path towards bringing about a change.
