No one should ever have to experience sexual abuse!         World Emergency Relief (WER) believes that commercial sexual exploitation of children is the most underexposed humanitarian and human rights emergency of our time.       WER is committed to preventing sexual exploitation and intervening for those who are trafficked, plus promoting the human rights of those affected.

The Current Challenge

      Sex trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC) are appalling, ever-increasing international problems. In June 2005, the U.S. Department of State estimated that upwards of 820,000 people are trafficked internationally each year, of which approximately 80% are female and almost 50% are minors. The majority of these trafficking victims are forced into commercial sexual exploitation, the third most profitable black market industry in the world. Each year it earns an estimated $7 billion and destroys hundreds of thousands of lives.

      Cambodia is plagued by sexual exploitation, with upwards of 100,000 sexually exploited women and children (exploited both locally and internationally). Cambodia presents a triple challenge as a source, transit and destination country for sex trafficking victims. Sadly, it is also one of the most popular countries for pedophiles and sex tourists to satisfy their interests. A recent study done by the Cambodian Women's Crisis Center showed that 35% of sex workers in Cambodian brothels are sexually exploited minors.

      A wide variety of child sexual exploitation techniques common in Cambodia (and found elsewhere) include sex tourism, sex trafficking, pornography, prostitution, child marriages and sexual molestation.

      Children in these circumstances suffer abuse, with painful effects including physical and psychological trauma, sleeping and eating disorders, sexually transmitted diseases, unwanted pregnancies and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. These children who live in fear and shame every day are WER's specific focus in Cambodia.

      Extreme poverty, high unemployment, few job opportunities for women and children, and low literacy levels offer optimal opportunity for traffickers to exploit victims. Children's own family members often sell them to pay off debts; sometimes children are simply kidnapped. Physical threats, intimidation, debt bondage, language barriers, and lacking a safe place to return are forces which combine to make escape difficult.

 

WER is Making a Difference!       WER began combating this disturbing global issue in 1997, supporting a vocational training school at a resort community in the Dominican Republic; that outreach continues today with our support for their social workers and vigorous CSEC intervention. Our Asian CSEC programs have included educating vulnerable children and their families about sexual predators and supporting “safe haven homes” in the Philippines, supporting basic education for rural children in six Cambodian villages, and strengthening local organizations in Thailand that fight CSEC through public awareness campaigns and vocational training for CSEC victims.       Due to the shear scope of this international problem, we have decided to continue existing programs and focus newly generated resources on Cambodia, a major sex trafficking and exploitation hub. In 2006, a need assessment was completed countrywide by our partner organization, VIVA International, including visits by WER staff, arranged through U.S. Congress contacts. Their results shocked us to the core, both the bitter realities of trafficking in Cambodia and, frankly, our American ignorance of the severity of these realities. We see no question of whether or not we should get involved; these children desperately needed our help and we decided to rise to the challenge.       Our previous field experience, our leadership in several international CSEC conferences and the needs assessment have consolidated our focus. Through our partnership with VIVA International, we intend to decrease commercial sexual exploitation in Cambodia by making it unprofitable for traffickers.       We christened our joint project "DOORSTEP” in late 2006, to address rehabilitation and reintegration of victims, advocacy, prevention, intervention and prosecution of sex customers and sex traffickers. Local involvement is a fundamental element; DOORSTEP's main goal is to provide local resources, including educational materials, in-depth training, program design, financial support and capacity building for local programs, fighting CSEC in ways both culturally and operationally appropriate, while also developing best practices between our network and other involved NGOs.       While both WER and VIVA are part of the Christian faith community, our programs are non-sectarian and our capacity-building resources will be shared with any interested local NGOs.

A few of our current DOORSTEP programs in Cambodia:

Education WER has supported this educational program for the last four years, which helps rural children ages 5-14 in six Cambodian towns.  The program teaches basic reading, writing and arithmetic skills, to better equip them for regular jobs as opposed to prostitution. WER also has public awareness campaigns and an informal education program for at-risk children who are unable to attend school.

Vocational Training

WER's vocational training programs include computer skills, sewing and motorcycle maintenance training.  These skills offer CSEC victims and at-risk individuals an effective alternatives to the sex industry. 

 

Micro-Enterprise

WER offers micro-enterprise loan programs ranging from raising goats, pigs and chickens, to selling produce and running general stores.  The programs loans local CSEC victims and at-risk individuals the money and training to start and run a self-sustainable small business.

Combined Programs This program teaches CSEC victims and at-risk individuals English and basic education classes, plus vocational training programs for administrative assistant positions, accountant positions and business operation.  The school has a cafe run by exploited or high-at-risk women; they operate all aspects of the business, from cooking the food to doing the accounting.

Our Plans for the Future

      World Emergency Relief's ultimate goal against CSEC during 2008 is to influence and strengthen sufficient NGOs in Southeast Asia, both our program partners and other involved NGOs, to impact the lives of 1.65 million children in the region.

Download WER's DOORSTEP Fact Sheet (PDF 1.2MB)

WER Needs Your Help      Your gift will help WER expand our DOORSTEP program. CLICK HERE to make a loving donation. Your generosity gives these children “a living chance.”   DONATE To make a life-saving donation online, CLICK HERE. Cash and check donations can be mailed to:      World Emergency Relief      P.O. Box 131570      Carlsbad, CA 92013 Credit card donations can be phoned in at 1-888-484-4543. All contributions from U.S. taxpayers are tax-deductible. TELL A FRIEND Let your friends, family members and co-workers know what’s going on. PRAY Pray for the millions of at-risk and abused children. Pray that sexual abuse and exploitation will stop around the world. Pray that WER will have support to continue and expand our DOORSTEP program.