Creative Colorado woman plans shoe drive to stomp out sexual slavery in Cambodia

Like thousands of young girls in Cambodia, sixteen-year-old Phalla (fa-la) became a victim of human trafficking as a sex slave in Phnom Penh when she was just fourteen-years-old. It wasn’t by choice; it was because her step-mother sold her twice to pay-off her own gambling debts after Phalla’s father left the family. During their captivity, girls like Phalla service 10-20 customers each day.

Human Slavery
Approximately 600,000-800,000 victims are trafficked worldwide every year, and a high percentage of them are children. These victims are subjected to force, fraud, or coercion, for the purpose of sexual exploitation or forced labor.

According to INTERPOL, after drug dealing, trafficking of humans is tied with arms dealing as the second largest criminal industry in the world, and is the fastest growing.

Phalla collected the courage to run away and find her estranged father, then he told Phalla’s brother, who finally summoned the Cambodian police. Her Cinderella-like outcome places Phalla into a new story: now safe and thriving as she’s joined other rescued girls at the Transitions Global living center. She says she wants to become a nurse to help people.

Pam Harvey, Denver’s representative for Transitions Global, a recognized international anti-human trafficking organization, says that one by one, we can make a dent in this epidemic, and she’s convinced that “Change has to come largely through the women in the third-world countries affected.”

James Pond, International Director of Transitions Global, estimates that there are between 50,000-60,000 young girls, sadly many as young as eight-years-old, held as prostitutes in Cambodia.

For girls who’ve been through the Transitions Global program, recidivism, a cumbersome word meaning those that return to sexual slavery because of economic stress, drug addiction and coercion, is extremely low.

Freedom
Transitions Global is a stand-out among human trafficking restoration groups because it has the highest success rate, at 79%. Their tagline reads: “Rescue is not an event, it’s a process.”

Harvey cites Transitions Global’s holistic philosophy of restoration, with an emphasis on a strong, transitional aftercare program of mentoring and communication for the long-haul as the reason.

Besides receiving girls from rescue organizations in Cambodia, Transitions Global also helps girls out of sexual slavery in Greece, India, Indonesia and even the U.S.

Harvey says when a girl comes to Transitions Global, she receives housing, clothing and food, but “She also gets a real education and skills for a career, so she can build a solid future.”

Harvey says that Pond asks each girl who enters the program what her dream for the future is. One girl aspired to become a housekeeper, another, a seamstress at a garment factory.

“Yet, James reminds the girls that they can dream bigger and not just trade one form of slavery for another. Girls who’ve graduated from the program have actual careers: interpreters, yoga teachers, school teachers, social workers, professional chefs, tour guides, graphic artists and even Microsoft certified IT specialists,” says Harvey.

These girls take part in psychological therapy as well as yoga classes, even art therapy, plus small support groups to build and repair their traumatized self- confidence and empower them to take charge of their lives.

“I’ve looked into many similar organizations, and I’ve never found one that reaches the whole girl, giving her a real future and a life of sustainability like Transitions Global,” says Harvey. And this, she says, “Is a beginning for changing their country’s economic system, one girl at a time.”

To date, Transitions Global has restored the lives of over 90 young girls. Transitions Global also works with a dozen other rescue and social change groups to accomplish its mission, including International Justice Mission.

Transition to a new life through a simple shoe drive
With world and local economies in huge transition, Harvey says sustainability is the key. It costs Transitions Global a whopping $10,000 to rehabilitate and restore each young girl, so Harvey’s sights are set on local and national sponsors to take on a chunk of the task.

As Transitions Global’s National Director of Advocacy and Education, Harvey’s laying out The Sole Pupose Is Restoration strategy to raise $10,000 over the next ten months for Phalla’s needs, by having Coloradoans “adopt” her. How? By using another Cinderella twist – through simple, local shoe drives.

“I’m working on getting each member of my congregation to bring in a pair of used shoes. If we get 1000 pairs we can raise roughly $600.00. These shoes aren’t for the victims; rather they’re recycled for their materials, some of which are sold to third-world countries, with some footwear even ending up in the international vintage clothing market for an amazingly high price. It’s just so simple,” says Harvey.

In her shining entrepreneurial fashion, she’s also looking for other organizations, businesses and places of worship to step in and engage by coordinating community shoe drives. Of course, monetary donations and even corporate sponsorships are also welcome.

Harvey’s even created a website as another catalyst to raise funds to end human slavery: FreeToShop.org. All you need to do is place orders for gifts and everyday items you already use, then she’ll donate the 8-10% commission she receives from each business to organizations including Transitions Global, International Justice Mission and Not For Sale Campaign.

Heavy hitters like the Gap, Starbuck’s, REI, Piper Lime and Toms Shoes are among the companies whose products you can shop.

“These girls have been so brutalized, they need a new dream,” says Harvey. She’s not waiting for the fairy tale prince to ride in with his single glass slipper, and she won’t give up on these girls until their dreams become reality.

If you or your organization want to sponsor a shoe drive to adopt Phalla through Transitions Global, contact Pam Harvey at 303-668-4463 or pam.harvey@transitionsglobal .

Watch Dateline NBC’s powerful segment on Transitions Global  HERE

To go directly and donate to the Transitions Global website

FreeToShop.org

Transitions Global will host an information booth at International Women’s Day here in Denver on March 8th at DCPA. For more information click  HERE