Designed for Change
Trafficking survivors often create beautiful works of art as part of recovery therapy. The repetitive nature of stringing jewelry and weaving fabric provides these embattled survivors with a sense of comfort and security in structure and routine, engendering a sense of pride and accomplishment.
These exquisite pieces reflect the strength, beauty, and resilience of each survivor. Woven into each silk thread and tied into each silk knot is her victory over her troubled past and her unwavering hope for the future. The Somaly Mam Foundation is proud to support these heroic survivors by marketing their products and helping pave their way to independent lives of freedom and dignity.
Akun Bracelet
We have affectionately named these Akun bracelets,
after the Cambodian word for "thank you". The bracelets are hand made
by victims currently in the rehabilitation process at the Tomdy Center in
Phnom Penh. Like the survivors who create these bracelets, each is
unique. Color and design vary from bracelet to bracelet.
Knotted Silk Necklace
Like the survivors who create these necklaces, each is
unique. Color and design vary from necklace to necklace.
Traditional Silk Scarf
Like the survivors who create these scarves, each is
unique. Color and design vary from scarf to scarf.
Media
The Road of Lost Innocence
"A riveting, raw, and beautiful memoir of tragedy and hope."
Born in a village deep in the Cambodian forest, Somaly Mam was sold into sexual slavery by her grandfather when she was twelve years old. For the next decade she was shuttled through the brothels that make up the sprawling sex trade of Southeast Asia. Trapped in this dangerous and desperate world, she suffered the brutality and horrors of human trafficking - rape, torture, and deprivation - until she managed to escape with the help of a French aid worker. Emboldened by her newfound freedom, education, and security, Somaly blossomed but remained haunted by the girls in the brothels she left behind.
Written in exquisite, spare, unflinching prose, The Road of Lost Innocence recounts the experiences of her early life and tells the story of her awakening as an activist and her harrowing and brave fight against the powerful and corrupt forces that steal the lives of these girls. She has orchestrated raids on brothels and rescued sex workers, some as young as five and six; she has built shelters, started schools, and founded an organization that has so far saved more than four thousand women and children in Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, and Laos. Her memoir will leave you awestruck by her tenacity and courage and will renew your faith in the power of an individual to bring about change.
Holly DVD
Shot on location in Cambodia, including many scenes in actual
brothels in the notorious red light district of Phnom Penh, HOLLY is a
captivating, touching and emotional experience. Patrick (Ron Livingston),
an American card shark and dealer of stolen artifacts, has been
'comfortably numb' in Cambodia for years, when he encounters
Holly (Thuy Nguyen), a 12-year-old Vietnamese girl, in the K11 red light
village. The girl has been sold by her impoverished family and smuggled
across the border to work as a prostitute. Holly's virginity makes
her a lucrative prize, and when she is sold to a child trafficker,
Patrick embarks on a frantic search through both the beautiful and sordid
faces of the country, in an attempt to bring her to safety. Harsh, yet
poetic, this feature forms part of the 'K-11' Project, dedicated
to raising awareness of the epidemic of child trafficking and the sex
slavery trade through several film projects. The film's producers
endured substantial hardships in order to be able to shoot in Cambodia
and have also founded the RedLight Children Campaign, which is a
worldwide grassroots initiative generating conscious concern and
inspiring immediate action against child sexploitation.
50% of all proceeds from the sale of this DVD will go directly to the foundation.