Daughters is growing from strength to strength and striving for professionalism in what we do. The success we are seeing is due in a very large way to our amazing staff and volunteers. So I wanted to briefly mention them all here in order to acknowledge their hugely valuable contribution and to thank them.
Currently we have 13 staff and 10 foreign volunteers. They are as follows:
Danet, Medical assistant & counsellor, who works very hard and is very flexible
Sam Nieng, centre manager who is also a great counsellor
Phillip, machine technician, whose skills make him indispensableHeang, guard & driver, who is a very safe male to have at Daughters.
Socheata, business manager, & newly promoted to marketing manager, who is a great advocate on behalf of the girls
Kolab, Director's assistant, who is a pastor's daughter and has been with us since we started in 2007
Pich, a former client who works in the daycare program & is shortly to be trained as a cousellor
Touch, our daycare leader, a gentle older lady
Lois from Canada whose skills in organizational development are also invaluable (in addition to baking!)
Elisabeth from Switzerland, who is a skilled counsellor & speaks amazing Khmer
Joanna from New Zealand who is our midwife, artist and worship leader (she is multi-talented)
Jen from USA, our admin assistant, whose skills we value highly
Rika from Indonesia, who is our valued accountant
Casey from the USA, who is our centre nurse and runs the clinic very competently
Phyllis from Canada who leads the silk screen printing program & is highly creative
Akia who is our housekeeper and keeps the centre clean
Sovannary who is our new bookkeeper, currently learning the ropes
Olivia from Australia, who is our designer and is doing an amazing job
Chenda, assistant manager in The Sewing Room
Carole from France who is our Art Therapist and is highly creative
Jenny from Switzerland who is our admin assistant and researcher
Aimee from USA, who is our new daycare consultant and is doing a fantastic job
Ruth (me!) Founder & CEO, a psychologist from the UK who has worked with victims of trafficking in Cambodia since early 2004
Thank you to all of these hard-working, flexible, committed staff and volunteers. They are a great team and very valued. Thank you equally to all the volunteers who have worked with us in the past before returning to their own countries. We have been so blessed by all of you, your work has enabled many many girls to escape the sex industry and find a new life of dignity and hope :)
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Reviewing things...
How effective are we???
I have been reviewing and evaluating how effective we are in achieving our goal of creating sustainable life changes in the lives of the girls we work with. We want to make a real and lasting difference to their lives, not just crunch numbers, and for this reason we have created a few assessment tools which we have been using during 2009. These have been very useful in assessing which areas we are doing well in and where there are gaps or things we need to improve. We are striving for excellence!
1. Quality of life assessment: measures the extent to which life-styles changes have been implemented, changes in psychological symptoms, social functioning and behaviours in the lives of each girl (quantitative & qualitative).
2. Client feedback survey: measures the effectiveness of each program in achieving these outcomes (quantitative & qualitative)
3. Statistics (quantitative)
Assessment findings show us the following (averages):
100% of girls stop selling their bodies after joining Daughters
Alcohol consumption ceases by average 87%
75% reduction in experiencing domestic violence
75% improvement in dysfunctional domestic relationships
65% improvement in health and physical wellbeing
87% reduction in risk taking behaviours
50% improvement in spending habits/money management
50% reduction in anxiety symptoms
70% reduction in depression symptoms
70% increase in self-esteem and self-worth
91% reduction in suidical thoughts
56% reduction in somatic symptoms (headaches, stomachaches etc)
62% increase in sense of hope for the future
Which programs are most effective?
80% of girls rate the church program as the one which has helped them experience the most healing, even girls who are still Buddhist
The small businesses, and medical clinic were rated by 80% of girls as being the most important programs
60% of girls rate the life-skills workshops as having given them skills to change their behaviours and life-styles
Other aspects at Daughters that have created life-style changes: new friendships (20% of girls), the staff (20%), parties & games (40%), the creative classes (60%), counselling (80%)
When asked about future plans, many girls said they wanted to stay at Daughters forever (flattering, but not ultimate goal for them!)
Programs requested for the future:
English literacy (50%), Khmer literacy (35%), hair & beauty class (20%)
Statistics show:
Within the last 12 months, 100 girls have joined Daughters.
58 currently work at Daughters
Of those who have left, around 10 have entered job placements that we have referred them to (5%).
Around 10 have found alternative jobs for themselves, or set up their own small businesses (5%).
A large number of girls have returned to live with their families in the province and not returned to the sex industry
4 or 5 girls have returned to the sex industry that we know of (2%)
24 clients (almost half the total number) a week are treated in the medical clinic, plus 9 external referrals
20% of clients each week receive counselling
What these findings mean:
A large number of girls are escaping the sex industry through the work of Daughters (on average 100 per year)
we are being effective in enabling them to change their lives in sustainable ways (evidenced from high % changes in quality of life assessment)
Most girls who exit Daughters do not return to the sex industry (estimate just 2% return that we know of)
Strengths include the skilled business volunteers we now have working with us, to develop the organization in important areas, particularly the businesses and the organizational strategic planning. As a result, professional standards are being achieved in the businesses, and salaries of girls are beginning to be covered, moving us towards goal of self-sustainability
Other strengths include the range of creative activities and workshops, delivered by great long term and short term volunteers, such as the professional art therapist working with us at present.
Things to work on:
We are still understaffed for the growth that has occurred, running on the bare minimum due to lack of funds
The divide between the social support services and business model can create a dilemma for some staff as the interests conflict
These are very encouraging results! A huge thankyou to all the volunteers who have been working with us, and also to everyone who has donated. We are making a huge impact on the lives of many trafficked girls as a result, and this is priceless :)
I have been reviewing and evaluating how effective we are in achieving our goal of creating sustainable life changes in the lives of the girls we work with. We want to make a real and lasting difference to their lives, not just crunch numbers, and for this reason we have created a few assessment tools which we have been using during 2009. These have been very useful in assessing which areas we are doing well in and where there are gaps or things we need to improve. We are striving for excellence!
1. Quality of life assessment: measures the extent to which life-styles changes have been implemented, changes in psychological symptoms, social functioning and behaviours in the lives of each girl (quantitative & qualitative).
2. Client feedback survey: measures the effectiveness of each program in achieving these outcomes (quantitative & qualitative)
3. Statistics (quantitative)
Assessment findings show us the following (averages):
100% of girls stop selling their bodies after joining Daughters
Alcohol consumption ceases by average 87%
75% reduction in experiencing domestic violence
75% improvement in dysfunctional domestic relationships
65% improvement in health and physical wellbeing
87% reduction in risk taking behaviours
50% improvement in spending habits/money management
50% reduction in anxiety symptoms
70% reduction in depression symptoms
70% increase in self-esteem and self-worth
91% reduction in suidical thoughts
56% reduction in somatic symptoms (headaches, stomachaches etc)
62% increase in sense of hope for the future
Which programs are most effective?
80% of girls rate the church program as the one which has helped them experience the most healing, even girls who are still Buddhist
The small businesses, and medical clinic were rated by 80% of girls as being the most important programs
60% of girls rate the life-skills workshops as having given them skills to change their behaviours and life-styles
Other aspects at Daughters that have created life-style changes: new friendships (20% of girls), the staff (20%), parties & games (40%), the creative classes (60%), counselling (80%)
When asked about future plans, many girls said they wanted to stay at Daughters forever (flattering, but not ultimate goal for them!)
Programs requested for the future:
English literacy (50%), Khmer literacy (35%), hair & beauty class (20%)
Statistics show:
Within the last 12 months, 100 girls have joined Daughters.
58 currently work at Daughters
Of those who have left, around 10 have entered job placements that we have referred them to (5%).
Around 10 have found alternative jobs for themselves, or set up their own small businesses (5%).
A large number of girls have returned to live with their families in the province and not returned to the sex industry
4 or 5 girls have returned to the sex industry that we know of (2%)
24 clients (almost half the total number) a week are treated in the medical clinic, plus 9 external referrals
20% of clients each week receive counselling
What these findings mean:
A large number of girls are escaping the sex industry through the work of Daughters (on average 100 per year)
we are being effective in enabling them to change their lives in sustainable ways (evidenced from high % changes in quality of life assessment)
Most girls who exit Daughters do not return to the sex industry (estimate just 2% return that we know of)
Strengths include the skilled business volunteers we now have working with us, to develop the organization in important areas, particularly the businesses and the organizational strategic planning. As a result, professional standards are being achieved in the businesses, and salaries of girls are beginning to be covered, moving us towards goal of self-sustainability
Other strengths include the range of creative activities and workshops, delivered by great long term and short term volunteers, such as the professional art therapist working with us at present.
Things to work on:
We are still understaffed for the growth that has occurred, running on the bare minimum due to lack of funds
The divide between the social support services and business model can create a dilemma for some staff as the interests conflict
These are very encouraging results! A huge thankyou to all the volunteers who have been working with us, and also to everyone who has donated. We are making a huge impact on the lives of many trafficked girls as a result, and this is priceless :)
Sunday, August 2, 2009
end of July...
The team from Canada left on Friday, with a great party in the afternoon; the 50 clients we have plus 20 staff were all given a beautiful pearl and a pink rose by the team as symbols of their worth and beauty in God's eyes and ours too. The girls performed some beautiful dance pieces they had learned, and there was showcasing of the hair-do's the girls had learned in the hair-styling program. It was a fun and special afternoon. Many thanks to the team for all their hard work and dedication, they brought lots of fun, skills, learning opportunities and hope to the girls. Many girls mentioned the workshops on domestic violence as having been helpful, since this is an experience that is common to so many of them. They also liked the drug education and the budgeting workshops.
Next week it will be back to business and busyness as usual, with quite a number of orders to finish in The Sewing Room and some new customers to meet with. This business is growing steadily and beginning to generate income, and we find that work at Daughters is continually moving forward in exciting ways, changing and growing.
Next week it will be back to business and busyness as usual, with quite a number of orders to finish in The Sewing Room and some new customers to meet with. This business is growing steadily and beginning to generate income, and we find that work at Daughters is continually moving forward in exciting ways, changing and growing.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Client Testamony: Tokna
Tokna
“In the karaoke bar I welcomed customers standing in a line with other girls. The customers looked me up and down from my toes to my head, before deciding whether they would choose me. If a cutomer didn’t choose me, he would say and do derogatory things to me, such as throwing alcohol at my body. I saw many girls there being threatened with a gun or hit by customers, in order to force them to go to a guesthouse with the customer.
I felt like I was a game for the customer to play; when he needed me he took me to play, and when he didn’t need me he threw me away. I felt different to other people – I felt small. I was beautiful its true, but my value was small. Other people had education and a good life, with value. I felt life was too hard because I had no value. At night I used to sweat all over and experience intense fear and hyperventilate. I wanted to kill myself.
Since I started to work at Daughters these feelings have reversed; I know I have self-worth, and people don’t look down on me. I feel happy and valued. Before I earned a lot of money, and at Daughters I get less, but here no one looks down on me and I feel peace in my heart, nobody despises me.
I would like to help other sex workers to stop that life-style and change their lives, this is my plan. I want to be a counsellor.”
“In the karaoke bar I welcomed customers standing in a line with other girls. The customers looked me up and down from my toes to my head, before deciding whether they would choose me. If a cutomer didn’t choose me, he would say and do derogatory things to me, such as throwing alcohol at my body. I saw many girls there being threatened with a gun or hit by customers, in order to force them to go to a guesthouse with the customer.
I felt like I was a game for the customer to play; when he needed me he took me to play, and when he didn’t need me he threw me away. I felt different to other people – I felt small. I was beautiful its true, but my value was small. Other people had education and a good life, with value. I felt life was too hard because I had no value. At night I used to sweat all over and experience intense fear and hyperventilate. I wanted to kill myself.
Since I started to work at Daughters these feelings have reversed; I know I have self-worth, and people don’t look down on me. I feel happy and valued. Before I earned a lot of money, and at Daughters I get less, but here no one looks down on me and I feel peace in my heart, nobody despises me.
I would like to help other sex workers to stop that life-style and change their lives, this is my plan. I want to be a counsellor.”
Introducing some of our overseas volunteers!
One of the strengths at Daughters are the wonderful volunteers and staff. Some of the new faces who joined us:
Sarah from England who worked as marketing consultant for us for 3 months, from April-June, and who masterminded the arts exhibitions, catalogue, and also taught art classes.
Cassie and Jen, both from the USA, who worked as admin assistants. Cassie returned home to get married, and Jen is having a break at home with her family for 2 months and will then return to Daughters.
Joanna from New Zealand who is our new midwife, who is here long-term and is taking wonderful care of our pregnant ‘daughters’ of whom there are currently 13.
Lee Anne who is our graphic designer (short term sadly!) and is responsible for some gorgeous new publicity material we now have. Lee Anne is currently re-designing our website.
Rika from Indonesia, our new accountant and marketing person, who has amazing skills and an amazing heart.
We welcome back Alta, our nurse practitioner from South Africa, who worked with us during 2007 and has now returned to fill in part time, whilst we look for a full-time nurse. We had a skilled Canadian nurse, Kim, working with us for a year, who has recently left and she is greatly missed.
We have had Jaymie, a photographer from Canada, working with us on our photography project which just ended in June. This was wonderfully successful.
Sarah from England who worked as marketing consultant for us for 3 months, from April-June, and who masterminded the arts exhibitions, catalogue, and also taught art classes.
Cassie and Jen, both from the USA, who worked as admin assistants. Cassie returned home to get married, and Jen is having a break at home with her family for 2 months and will then return to Daughters.
Joanna from New Zealand who is our new midwife, who is here long-term and is taking wonderful care of our pregnant ‘daughters’ of whom there are currently 13.
Lee Anne who is our graphic designer (short term sadly!) and is responsible for some gorgeous new publicity material we now have. Lee Anne is currently re-designing our website.
Rika from Indonesia, our new accountant and marketing person, who has amazing skills and an amazing heart.
We welcome back Alta, our nurse practitioner from South Africa, who worked with us during 2007 and has now returned to fill in part time, whilst we look for a full-time nurse. We had a skilled Canadian nurse, Kim, working with us for a year, who has recently left and she is greatly missed.
We have had Jaymie, a photographer from Canada, working with us on our photography project which just ended in June. This was wonderfully successful.
Update, July `09
Prayer Centre
We are excited to announce the launch of our prayer room during June 2009. This operates as a place for intercession and prayer every afternoon, with attached retreat areas for staff and a counselling room. The prayer room is open for staff as well as external volunteers to drop in and join our daily intercession sessions, or to pray individually. We have seen that prayer makes such a difference to our effectiveness, and for us, it is a priority as we are engaged in front-line work.
‘Caring for Myself’ workshops
We have a team with us from Canada at the moment, and they are working hard running workshops for our clients on topics including: domestic violence prevention, how to choose a good mate, budgeting, drugs education and dance classes. They have also been running hair cutting classes for girls who are still working in the brothels in order to help them realise the possibilities of changing their lives. They are doing an amazing job, and we are enjoying having them.
We are excited to announce the launch of our prayer room during June 2009. This operates as a place for intercession and prayer every afternoon, with attached retreat areas for staff and a counselling room. The prayer room is open for staff as well as external volunteers to drop in and join our daily intercession sessions, or to pray individually. We have seen that prayer makes such a difference to our effectiveness, and for us, it is a priority as we are engaged in front-line work.
‘Caring for Myself’ workshops
We have a team with us from Canada at the moment, and they are working hard running workshops for our clients on topics including: domestic violence prevention, how to choose a good mate, budgeting, drugs education and dance classes. They have also been running hair cutting classes for girls who are still working in the brothels in order to help them realise the possibilities of changing their lives. They are doing an amazing job, and we are enjoying having them.
Photography Classes and Artwork, July `09
Photography Project
As a celebration of the life-changes of girls at Daughters, we held 2 photography and arts events in early June at 2 premier arts venues in Phnom Penh. The photography exhibition was a culmination of a 4-month photography class, and included a presentation on the work of Daughters to a packed house. The reception was extremely supportive and encouraging. An arts exhibition was held a few days later which was a showcase of many of the art forms used at Daughters, including the fine art classes and the eco-friendly products from The Sewing Room and re-cycled jewellery products. Sugar & Spice, our cake decorating program, proudly provided cakes and refreshments all day. Teas were served in a range of fresh local plants, including ginger and lemongrass. Both events were a huge success for publicity /awareness raising and product sales, and the credit goes to the amazing team of staff and volunteers who worked very hard to create a professional and beautiful event, along with the girls themselves who created the incredible and beautiful products.
Art Classes
Sarah, our marketing consultant, held classes in fine art for a select number of girls who are budding artists. The art work included themes of Khmer life and culture, such as stencil designs taken from architectural details found in the temples of Angkor Wat, and self portraits in bright colours using a variety of techniques.
Photographs: Daughters re-cycled jewellery at the Gasolina event in June 2009, stencil work and fine art.
As a celebration of the life-changes of girls at Daughters, we held 2 photography and arts events in early June at 2 premier arts venues in Phnom Penh. The photography exhibition was a culmination of a 4-month photography class, and included a presentation on the work of Daughters to a packed house. The reception was extremely supportive and encouraging. An arts exhibition was held a few days later which was a showcase of many of the art forms used at Daughters, including the fine art classes and the eco-friendly products from The Sewing Room and re-cycled jewellery products. Sugar & Spice, our cake decorating program, proudly provided cakes and refreshments all day. Teas were served in a range of fresh local plants, including ginger and lemongrass. Both events were a huge success for publicity /awareness raising and product sales, and the credit goes to the amazing team of staff and volunteers who worked very hard to create a professional and beautiful event, along with the girls themselves who created the incredible and beautiful products.
Art Classes
Sarah, our marketing consultant, held classes in fine art for a select number of girls who are budding artists. The art work included themes of Khmer life and culture, such as stencil designs taken from architectural details found in the temples of Angkor Wat, and self portraits in bright colours using a variety of techniques.
Photographs: Daughters re-cycled jewellery at the Gasolina event in June 2009, stencil work and fine art.
Welcome To Daughters of Cambodia
So this is the new Daughters of Cambodia blog!
We'll be posting regular updates here about the centre and everything that happens there.
For starters, here is a little bit of info about Daughters:
Daughters is a faith based NGO that provides comprehensive services to female victims of sexual exploitation of any age and nationality who are working in the sex-industry in Cambodia, empowering them with the courage, inner resources and external resources to make life-style changes for their own lives. Through Centre activities and programmes, Daughters’ provides services which enable victims of sexual exploitation to set themselves free from enslavement through employment opportunities, and a wide range of social and psychological services. These include:
• Fair Trade business schemes providing salaried jobs
• Medical clinic
• Therapeutic and counselling services
• Free day-care
• On-site residential housing (optional)
• A wide range of creative classes to build self-esteem and provide a creative and expressive outlet for healing and fun. These include hip-hop dance, photography classes, art & design classes, Khmer dance, music classes, jewellery making, and others.
• Weekly educational workshops on important life skills topics, including domestic violence prevention, relationship/conflict resolution, drug addiction education, parenting skills, budgeting, team-building skills, self-esteem, and many more.
• Weekly church program to which girls are invited if they wish to learn about Christianity. Many girls have become Christians and are being discipled. The church program includes Biblical teaching, worship and prayer ministry.
Daughters started these services after conducting needs assessments with girls in brothels and finding that most girls wanted to live free from sexual exploitation but they were constrained by the need to earn an income constantly, because their families demanded on-going financial support. Daughters therefore designed a programme in which girls would be offered a job and immediately receive a salary, have freedom to choose where they want to live, receive therapeutic treatment, nurture, social support and educational services to enable holistic recovery, teach healthy decision-making and ensure changes are sustained long-term.
Daughters is a new approach to eradicating enslavement in sexual exploitation in Cambodia, avoiding the trauma and unsustained outcomes of forced rescues; victims who are reintegrated following forcible rescues (even when given skills and education) are mostly re-trafficked for 2 reasons: 1. the changes were imposed rather than internal and voluntary and 2. because families demand an immediate source of income. Outcomes from Daughters model to date show that the growing number of girls who leave the sex industry to start a new life through Daughters schemes 1. experience healing and freedom from trauma, and 2. sustain healthy choices because the life-style changes are internal, voluntary and holistic.
Girls who leave the sex industry prefer to live in their own homes rather than a shelter, and most of Daughters clients live in the community around the Centre within their existing support networks; however Daughters also provides on-site housing for younger girls who need more safety and nurture. Daughters approach to housing is one in which girls take responsibility for their own lives, they buy their own food and household supplies from their salaries and have to clean their home. This teaches them independent living, responsibility and life-skills rather than NGO dependence.
We'll be posting regular updates here about the centre and everything that happens there.
For starters, here is a little bit of info about Daughters:
Daughters is a faith based NGO that provides comprehensive services to female victims of sexual exploitation of any age and nationality who are working in the sex-industry in Cambodia, empowering them with the courage, inner resources and external resources to make life-style changes for their own lives. Through Centre activities and programmes, Daughters’ provides services which enable victims of sexual exploitation to set themselves free from enslavement through employment opportunities, and a wide range of social and psychological services. These include:
• Fair Trade business schemes providing salaried jobs
• Medical clinic
• Therapeutic and counselling services
• Free day-care
• On-site residential housing (optional)
• A wide range of creative classes to build self-esteem and provide a creative and expressive outlet for healing and fun. These include hip-hop dance, photography classes, art & design classes, Khmer dance, music classes, jewellery making, and others.
• Weekly educational workshops on important life skills topics, including domestic violence prevention, relationship/conflict resolution, drug addiction education, parenting skills, budgeting, team-building skills, self-esteem, and many more.
• Weekly church program to which girls are invited if they wish to learn about Christianity. Many girls have become Christians and are being discipled. The church program includes Biblical teaching, worship and prayer ministry.
Daughters started these services after conducting needs assessments with girls in brothels and finding that most girls wanted to live free from sexual exploitation but they were constrained by the need to earn an income constantly, because their families demanded on-going financial support. Daughters therefore designed a programme in which girls would be offered a job and immediately receive a salary, have freedom to choose where they want to live, receive therapeutic treatment, nurture, social support and educational services to enable holistic recovery, teach healthy decision-making and ensure changes are sustained long-term.
Daughters is a new approach to eradicating enslavement in sexual exploitation in Cambodia, avoiding the trauma and unsustained outcomes of forced rescues; victims who are reintegrated following forcible rescues (even when given skills and education) are mostly re-trafficked for 2 reasons: 1. the changes were imposed rather than internal and voluntary and 2. because families demand an immediate source of income. Outcomes from Daughters model to date show that the growing number of girls who leave the sex industry to start a new life through Daughters schemes 1. experience healing and freedom from trauma, and 2. sustain healthy choices because the life-style changes are internal, voluntary and holistic.
Girls who leave the sex industry prefer to live in their own homes rather than a shelter, and most of Daughters clients live in the community around the Centre within their existing support networks; however Daughters also provides on-site housing for younger girls who need more safety and nurture. Daughters approach to housing is one in which girls take responsibility for their own lives, they buy their own food and household supplies from their salaries and have to clean their home. This teaches them independent living, responsibility and life-skills rather than NGO dependence.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)