Toby Leung’s Charity Work Improves Lives of Child Sex Trafficking Victims
At the end of April,Toby Leung (梁靖琪) and a group of successful businesswomen in Hong Kong set off to Cambodia as volunteers to support the Agape International Missions (AIM). The charitable organization hopes to help child sex trafficking victims by creating safe housing and teaching survival skills. Toby hopes to rebuild the girls’ confidence and give them a new chance in life.
Last November, Toby first spoke about her visit to Cambodia to help child sex trafficking victims. Her accounts that girls as young as two years old were sold into prostitution by their own parents shocked many, but also raised awareness in how people can help.
“The plane ride from Hong Kong is only two hours, but it’s a completely different world [in Cambodia]. The rescued girls are all very pure and innocent; a little toy can make them really happy. It is hard to believe that they had experienced such trauma. Due to poverty, some two year-old girls are sold into prostitution, losing their childhood innocence at such a young age,” Toby said.
The 36-year-old actress is a big supporter of AIM because they rescue approximately 1,600 young girls from the ages of 8 to 18 every year. Aside from Toby, many other successful women joined the mission, including a member of the Hong Kong Bar Association, a jewelry brand owner, and an event planner.
Realizing the impact their efforts leave, female volunteers usually return to Cambodia for multiple missions. One of the volunteers recounted a story where a 14-year-old girl was sold, and was eventually rescued. Unfortunately, during the 22 days of waiting for help, 198 people raped her. This story always brings tears to her eyes. Another volunteer shared the story of an 8-year-old survivor who was eventually adopted in the United States and later started her own business as an adult. She now joins these types of missions to help other unfortunate young girls.
For Toby, she wants to help these girls rebuild their confidence for a fresh start in life. In her latest mission in Cambodia, Toby and other volunteers will be teaching the girls jewelry-making skills. Toby said, “AIM doesn’t only rescue girls. The most important is to teach the girls viable skills, and let them realize life is not without choices. They will have skills to survive in society and start new lives.” Toby also hopes to spread awareness to other people so that AIM can save even more girls.
According to reports, each year tens of thousands of girls are sold into prostitution in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Malissa Stock, head of AIM, said the organization rescues the girls and puts them in safe houses. They will also build schools, and hope that through education, the girls will improve future employment opportunities and not be forced into prostitution again.
Source: hket
This article is written by Hailey for JayneStars.com.
i watched a documentary about young girls being sold into prostituion at a young age in Cambodia. there’s are entire section of the city dedicated for just that and family members would be the johns asking passerby if they want sex and bring them to their daugthers.
don’t know why they have resorted to prostituting their own children but can’t help to think that girls are just next-to trash in their culture. i know the country’s poor, but there are other things to do than prostituting your own children.
it’s a great thing what toby’s doing and i hope these rescued girls don’t get force back into it again.
@m0m0 Agreed, but I can sympathize. The poorest and most vulnerable are often the easiest target when there’s crisis at home. Even in history, Eskimos abandon their young when there’s not enough food to eat or under duress. What they’re doing is monstrous, but they do it to ensure their family and strongest offsprings survive. It’s inhumane to us because we know better, but to them, this is the only way of life they know.
That’s sad Toby has a good heart. I wonder do they only sell the girls but not boys? I know lots of country’s are poor too they still bust their butt off to earn money don’t they know how hard to give birth then you suddenly sold your own children just like that I hope they will regret for the rest of their life when they get older because nobody will take care of them.