For the past year or so, something I once read about keeps coming to my mind. I want to do something to help a certain charity that I discovered while browsing the Oprah Winfrey website. I was looking for a place to watch Oprah episodes online and while I was searching, I found some articles about a charity called The Somaly Mam Foundation. What caught my eye was how little money was required to make a difference. Most charities you find require a donation of at least $1000 dollars to make even the slightest difference. This foundation claims that a donation of only $20 will help! I was shocked and after reading Somaly Mam’s book The Road of Lost Innocence, I discovered why $20 is enough to make a difference. Apparently one US dollar is enough to feed an entire Cambodian family for a day.

The Somaly Mam Foundation is a charity that rescues and provides shelter for victims of sexual slavery. Somaly Mam is a survivor herself who, as a 12 year old child living in Cambodia, was forced to work in brothel, being tortured and raped multiple times a day for many years. Children ages 6 to 16 are sold to these brothels as sexual slaves and experience horrors even worse than Somaly Mam herself suffered. Somaly Mam has build shelters in Cambodia to provide safety and protection for victims of these unimaginable crimes. She also provides instruction for the girls in basic skills that can help them gain independence. A donation of $30 can provide sewing lessons for a survivor for a month. $50 can cover the costs of sheltering a newly rescued survivor for a month.

I’m not a rich person, so hearing that only $30 can make a difference was huge to me. I can hardly bear to think about the horrors these precious little children go through, but I also know that I can no longer just sit around and not do anything about it. As soon as I knew I wanted to help somehow, I visited http://www.somaly.org to learn what someone like me can do. I’ve learned that aside from small regular donations, one of the best things anyone can do is just make as many people aware of human trafficking as possible. I had no idea sexual slavery was such a huge problem today. According to Somaly Mam’s website, human trafficking is the third largest crime industry in the world, receiving 10 billion dollars a year from it’s clients. There are more slaves in the world today then there have been any other time in human history.

Even more shocking, it’s happening right under our noses. This particular foundation provides shelter and protection for Cambodian victims, but sexual slavery is a crime being committed all over the world, as well as the United States. It just astounds me to learn about such things. I’ve lived such a sheltered life of freedom and independence that’s it’s hard for me to imagine what these poor women and children are suffering right now, even as I write this blog. These horrific crimes can NOT be ignored. Every single person needs to be aware of this hidden industry. It’s the secrecy of it that feeds it’s power. Once someone new learn the facts, it gets us that much closer to putting an end to this madness.

Now that I know what is happening I can’t just sit and do nothing. Perhaps talking about it here, on Facebook, Twitter, and to my friends and family can help make a difference. All I know is I can’t ignore this foundation any longer, so I’ve decided to use the Thinkbits Poster Collection, to help encourage others to donate. I have set up a small site where I’ll be giving out a free Thinkbits Poster of your choice for every $5.00 donation. I’m excited to help out, even if it’s only in a small way. I just feel so strongly about doing my best to support Somaly Mam and I hope you’ll help me spread the word about the good she’s doing for those who have nowhere else to turn.

I’d really like to ask your help in spreading the word about The Somaly Mam Foundation. I encourage you to read Somaly Mam’s book The Road of Lost Innocence, and visit the foundation’s official website http://www.somaly.org/. I can’t think of anyone else who needs our help more than these little girls who haven’t had a real chance at life yet. Use Facebook and Twitter to spread the word on a regular basis about The Somaly Mam Foundation, and remember, even $20 can make a difference!

To donate $5 to The Somaly Mam Foundation, and get your Free Thinkbits Poster CLICK HERE.

Article written by Shelly Hathaway.
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