The painful path to human trafficking

However, a social programme in Quang Ninh province, which sits o­n the Chinese border, is coming to life in an effort to help trafficked victims re-integrate into the community.

Each of the trafficking stories provides food for thought for people in a position to help fight the trade

Trang’s story

The story of 17-year-old Trang, a pretty girl with smiling eyes, belies her innocent appearance, as she was forced to be a sexual slave at the age of 15.

Earlier last year, Trang was trafficked to China’s Dong Xing by a friend of her brother. A taxi that took the person and Trang inside stopped at the end of a nameless small road in Mong Cai town. Trang crossed a waterless stream without knowing it was o­n the other side of the Chinese-Vietnamese border. It was the last section of a picnic tour Trang was invited to join, but it was the beginning of the worst days of her life. “My brother’s friend suddenly disappeared while we were walking, and was replaced by cruel looking men who took me to their car. They confined me in a small and empty room, where there were five young Vietnamese girls already,” said Trang.

“We were not allowed to go out. Eating, drinking, ablutions and other routine activities all took part in that dirty room. As soon as they took me there I was forced to receive 10-15 guests everyday.”

Trang told me all this in a normal, disaffected voice, her face was innocent. Maybe, she was too young to be aware, and to know these pains would always pursue her life.

Trang was lucky. o­ne of the girls who was able to get away and return to Vietnam informed Trang’s family where their daughter was. Her family informed the police and it then became a race by Chinese and Vietnamese police to rescue her from her plight. In August 2005, Trang was reunited with her parents, who were exhausted from fear and worry.

At the end of last year, the person who trafficked Trang was put o­n trial in Quang Ninh province. She received a 24-year sentence. This was the most severe penalty handed out to a person convicted of trafficking mainly due to the fact that Trang was still an adolescent. These were two, among the many stories I heard in Quang Ninh Province from trafficked women, who were fortunate to return to their motherland. Since Vietnam re-opened trade with its northern neighbour nearly two decades ago, Quang Ninh province has benefited from a significant increase in economic development, but in return it has suffered from an increasing number of trafficking incidents. Hoang Thi Minh Pha, acting chairwoman of the Quang Ninh Provincial Women’s Union (QNWU) said: “Traffickers’ tricks have become more and more complex nowadays to cope with the local authorities. They are relatives, or neighbours or friends of the victims, who are mostly poor and uneducated.”

According to the chairwoman, 16 Vietnamese girls were returned to Vietnam by Chinese police in February alone. They were all sex workers, however, the official statistics are far lower than the numbers that are really occurring.

Usually when returning to Vietnam, trafficked victims end up experiencing hard lives economically and mentally. “They can hardly rebuild their lives without community support,” Pha said. In this context, a social programme is being put in place by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) in coordination with the QNWU in an effort to help victims like Loan and Trang. It is an innovative programme to help trafficked victims re-integrate into their community in Vietnam.

Untold story of a social programme

One-and-a-half years ago, residents in Halong City happened to see a young girl wandering from restaurant to restaurant. When asked who she was Hoang Thi To Linh replied that she was involved in a field survey researching the best way to implement a re-integration programme for trafficked women. Linh questioned what sort of courses could be taught to victims to help them find a job in Halong City. The baseline survey, in addition to results from other organisations finally provided her with an easy solution — cooking.

But Linh still had to locate victims of trafficking who were willing to learn. With QNWU’s support, Linh conducted more research. Right after the information about the programme was circulated, hundreds of applications were sent to them. Each case had a bitter story. Linh had to start a new hard journey. She visited hundreds of individuals in many communes in the province, assessing their situation before choosing the most suitable candidates including Trang.

The first low key training course was held mid-last year without any fanfare. Trainers were recruited from the QNWU cadre and teachers from Hanoi-based Hoa Sua school specialising in helping disadvantaged youth. They give the trainees lessons o­n life skills, discipline and how to cook meals. IOM’s in-house psychologist is helping the women deal with mental anguish that many suffer from.

I visited the class when the women were preparing specialty meals such as crab soup, sauteed fish and fried shrimp. “This is the best food I’ve ever eaten in my life,” a trainee said shyly.

In the evening, the trainees gathered to listen to a special lecturer. He is the director of the four-star hotel Halong Pearl, and also the holder of two Master’s and a doctoral certificate o­n economic management and law. The director talked about recruitment demand, and the working rules of his hotel, as well as people he knew who had emerged from difficulties. He wanted to raise self-confidence and empower the unfortunate women. The lecturer is o­ne among the many Halong-based restaurant and hotel directors and managers, who Linh invites to talk in the class.

The first course has already been completed, and 20 of its 25 trainees have found jobs in Halong restaurants and hotels following the enthusiastic support from QNWU and IOM. The trafficked victims have different situations and destinies, but they all share the same thing. They have been given an opportunity to have a job, to heal their mental pains and to leave behind uncounted memories of their horrible past.

Trang will finish the course soon with the clear intention of becoming a cook in a restaurant. Linh revealed QNWU had arranged all the trainees to practice in Halong restaurants and hotels. “I do hope they will be given work after the practice,” Linh said.

QNWU’s Pha said that Quang Ninh authorities have given the model their support as it gives the victims “rods rather than just fish”. Pha says she hopes to expand the model as more and more trafficking victims will come back and they all need assistance.