As a young Cambodian child, Tela (whose name has been changed for safety reasons) was rescued from a human trafficking network in Thailand. By the time authorities rescued her, she had been separated from her family and then exploited, abused, and traumatized repeatedly.
Sadly, Tela is one of millions of children who are trafficked and exploited around the world each year. Their captors subject them to horrifying circumstances, constant surveillance and control, and often coerce them into participating in criminal activity that benefits the very people who have robbed them of their childhood.
Tela is one of the children who has been brought to safety, often because of a cyber tip that led authorities to identify, locate, and rescue her. It is the collaborative mindset of those that refuse to look away, who are relentless about their work that ultimately leads to finding children like Tela, bringing them to safety whilst gathering the evidence required to safely prosecute predators, and ultimately see justice delivered. When Tela was rescued, she was placed in the care of the Kruja Shelter, one of Our Rescue’s trusted partners in Thailand, an organization that delivers trauma-informed care to child survivors. With the support of dedicated caregivers, staff, and other children at the shelter, she received support to gradually rebuild a sense of safety, stability, and hope.
It was this nurturing, trauma-informed support that helped her begin to heal. She started participating in daily activities again. And as time went on, she also began preparing for the future.
During Tela’s recovery, the support provided by the shelter also helped her be part of the legal process that transpires once a suspect is in custody and has entered the judicial system. The kind people at the shelter helped Tela begin rebuilding her confidence and resilience. Kruja Shelter provides a safe and caring environment where healing, learning, and childhood can begin again for young survivors of human trafficking and child exploitation.
As soon as authorities located Tela’s biological mother in Cambodia and confirmed she could safely return to her, home Tela was reunited with her family.
Tela’s story reflects the power of collaboration and the impact organizations like Kruja Shelter and Our Rescue can make when they work alongside local law enforcement. Thanks to generous donors who have joined the fight against human trafficking and child exploitation, Our Rescue is there to support frontline workers with training, forensic equipment, resources, and assistance with field operations like the one that brought Tela to safety.
We are grateful to our donors and to partners like Kruja Shelter. It is because of you and our united efforts that child survivors have access to the trauma-informed care and support that make it possible to resume daily activity and schooling, one of many steps they will take on their healing journey.
Every contribution, every amount, helps bring children like Tela back to their families, to safety and stability, with the opportunity to heal, hope, and move forward with dignity.
Please help us fuel this fight. For children like Tela and the millions of other children who, today, are still hoping and waiting to be identified, found, and given the opportunity to reclaim their childhood.
