Ny and Lalin were promised a better life with well-paying jobs. But it was a lie.
It had been a lie.
Ny and Lalin were teenagers in Cambodia when they were promised a better life with a well-paying job. They were looking for opportunities to build strong futures for themselves and their families—and they thought this would be the way to do it.
But when they were brought to Malaysia in 2017, none of the promises were fulfilled.
They were forced to work long hours with little sleep or food, and were never paid for their work. They were abused by those they worked for, and Ny was sexually assaulted by the trafficker.
What Ny and Lalin didn’t know at the time was there was a team searching for them and fighting for their freedom. There was IJM Cambodia staff, Malaysian authorities, local NGO partners—and people like you!
In 2019, IJM collaborated with authorities and NGO partners to rescue Ny and Lalin, bringing them into safety and aftercare.
“Our staff worked relentlessly to provide legal representation for both survivors and ensured they had received aftercare support to cope with the trauma,” said Jacob Sims, Field Office Director for IJM Cambodia.
Then three years later, after the tireless work of IJM legal teams, the trafficker was arrested. The main perpetrator who caused Ny and Lalin untold suffering was brought to justice and sentenced to serve 17 years in prison.
As IJM Cambodia staff said, “The girls are starting a new life with hope.”
And that hope is no small thing! When you support IJM, you provide hope. Hope that healing is possible. Hope that perpetrators will be brought to justice. Hope that people around the world won’t stop fighting against trafficking and exploitation.