John, it’s easy to understand a teenage boy being won over by false promises if he is trying to better his life or help his family. It’s a tactic used by traffickers to lure young children into modern slavery.
It happened to Panha* when he was just 16 years old. Like hundreds of thousands of other Cambodians, Panha migrated to Thailand to find a better-paying job and create a brighter future for himself. Instead, he became trapped working on a fishing boat.
He received only two meals a day to fuel him through 12-hour shifts and faced physical violence when he fell asleep. One day, Panha's right hand was injured by a machine on the boat. The injury led to his hand needing to be amputated at a local hospital.
John, I’m deeply grateful for caring IJM supporters for helping enable IJM to walk beside survivors like Panha and bring their cruel traffickers to justice. January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month. Will you please make a gift today to help protect children and other people who are vulnerable from modern slavery?
After Panha returned to Cambodia, IJM provided him with legal aid. I’m happy to report that the perpetrator in Panha’s case was sentenced to seven years in prison and ordered to pay $4,800 as compensation.
Supporters like you also helped IJM provide livelihood support and equipment so Panha can realize his dream of building his own home.
While I’m so thankful that Panha is finally safe and free again, the hard truth is that millions of other children like Panha still need to be rescued from the dangers of modern slavery.
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