This article was written in 2010 while I was working for World Vision Cambodia.
Title: Srey Meas*
Swears to Never To Be Trafficked Again
After two days, Srey Meas finally decided to return home, but the recruiter
did not allow her to go unless she gave the company USD$125 (500,000 riels) to
compensate for her travel, meal, and accommodation expenses at the company’s
shelter. Srey Meas did not have the money, so she was forced stay at the
company to learn how to do house chores and speak Malaysian language.
“I was beaten many times by a female manager while I was learning
Malaysian language and being trained how to do housework. I sometimes wanted to
escape from that place but it’s locked with a high fence. All the girls including
me lived like prisoners,” Srey Meas said.
“I stayed at the company’s shelter for seven months. It was really hard
for me to contact my parents unless the manager allowed it. She was not a nice
person, and she usually forced me to work so hard, especially cleaning the
toilets. The company is big. All the girls were not allowed to have long hair;
all have the same hair cut because the manager told us it’s easier to work with
short hair and it’s a company’s policy.”
One day, Srey Meas and the other girls were handed nice clothes to wear
before their flight to Malaysia. Srey Meas said, “While the manager was
distributing the clothes, she told each girl that our salary will be cut
because these clothes are not for free, and that we will all go to Malaysia
soon, so we must wear these new clothes. I felt really nervous when hearing the
words ‘go to Malaysia, I already missed my family so much. I thought life was
not easy here in Phnom Penh, so it’s probably twice as hard in Malaysia. But I
dreamt of earning lots of money to send to my parents when I arrive Malaysia. Even
if the work will be quite hard, I will try to be strong and encourage myself.”
Recalling her journey, Srey Meas shared, “I arrived in Malaysia airport
at night with 10 girls, and all the girls were advised to sit far away from
each other. Then we were brought by a guy to take a taxi one by one. I was the
last person who was taken by a strange guy who spoke Malaysian. He sent me to a
big house and told me to clean that house. I was so hungry but the guy gave me
only a glass of water. I did not sleep at night. I worked till morning. Then
another guy came and brought me to another house to clean. I washed 9 big dogs and 8 cars and washed the clothes
of the house owners.”
From then on, every day, Srey Meas woke up at 4am and worked till
midnight. She lived in the dog’s room where the 9 dogs used the bed while she slept
on the floor. “The house owner didn’t allow me to sleep on the bed, she said I
am worthless; and the dogs are my boss,” Srey Meas said.
Srey Meas did not eat well during her life in Malaysia. Her breakfast consisted
of two slices of bread, noodles for lunch, and she never had dinner. Srey Meas
cleaned around 5 houses a day. The male house owners would try to sleep with
her and the housewives would beat her. She cried and nobody could help her.
Srey Meas said, “I was not healthy. I often had fever and stomachaches,
and sometimes I vomited. I was also beaten several times by the house owner’s wives
for no reasons.”
“Then one day, a house owner’s wife scolded and beat me and said I was
lazy and just pretended to be busy. She then gave me a knife and said ‘if you
want to go back to Cambodia, you must cut your own wrist now.’”
On the brink of tears, Srey Meas shared, “I decided to cut my wrist
because I had no hope working as a housekeeper with so many people being mean
to me. I did not have a way to go back home; and if I kept working in Malaysia,
I’ll die one day from working so hard with no salary. I was really missing my
family, so when I heard I might be sent back to Cambodia, I didn’t think about
any of the risks.”
Srey Meas became unconsciousness after cutting her wrist. When she
awoke, she was in the hospital. Eventually, she was later sent back to
Cambodia. Srey Meas arrived home traumatized and thought she was in a dream. Srey
Meas said, “I thought it was a dream, and I couldn’t make any sound when I
first saw my family members. I was so scared of any strangers. I talked only
with my family members. I did not believe that I was here with my family again.
I will never go to work in Malaysia ever again.”
Srey Meas was referred to staff of World Vision’s Mekong Delta Regional
Trafficking Strategy Project (MDRTSP) II’s by a Deputy Governor of Rukhakiri
District, Battambang province. From the project, Srey Meas received counseling
and emotional support.
Today, Srey Meas has a small business at her house through the support
of MDRTSPII. The project staff regularly conducts home visits and she is
becoming more open to talk and share with her villagers.
“I attended the World Vision training about ‘the 10 things you need to
know about trafficking.’ I now understand my rights and the methods of
traffickers. I share with other girls in the village about my hardship
experience in Malaysia. I encourage younger children to study hard and find
other jobs locally, it’s safer,” she said.
In reflection, Srey Meas said, “I am happy to return home and have good
people like World Vision staff who give me good support and give me a new
career. They help me to open a grocery store at home. I can earn more money to
support my family. I hope I will become a business woman in the future.”
Note: Srey Meas*
is not her real name.
-Ends-
No comments:
Post a Comment