Tomorrow is a new day
P was born in a struggling family. Her father was with disabilities, her mother was constantly sick. P had to drop out after 7th grade to work to support her parents.
Thought her family was not well off, the life was still cozy for her along with parents and brothers, sisters.
In May 2006, when P was just 20 years old, a woman told her to go to Hanoi to work in a supermarket. With the desire to help her family, P decided to go with that woman to Hanoi by train, then by boat.
At the destination, being picked up by two strange men, did P realized that she was sold to a brothel in China.
Early August 2006, making use of the ignorance of the landlords, P managed to flee back ton Vietnam with a fetus inside her. In April 2007, P gave birth to a baby girl.
In 2011, she met a man who loved her. After getting to know each other, the couple got married. She was so confident of a happy life after having two twin girls. But the husband left her.
Devastated and disillusioned, more than once P thought about the death. But her love for three innocent children lifted her up from time to time.
Everyday, she shadowed her father to learn the job of keys making. Along with some small business, P managed to raise her kids.
With information about P, World Vision Vietnam’s End Trafficking in Person (ETIP) program joined hands with local partners in Quang Tri province and the district where P was living to help her come up with a livelihood plan that fitted her needs and conditions.
Based on P and family’s recommendations, in early 2014, ETIP assisted her to buy a power generator, a laminator machine, a mobile trolley, as well as clothes and books for her children. The total value of the support was VND 13.3 millions.
Every, P pushed her trolley through miles of road to the remote rural villages to fix and make keys, to laminate clients’ stuff. She also borrowed an extra amount of money to invest in more goods such as kid toys, souvenirs, confectionary...
She now earns average 120.000 -150.000 VND daily. When the weather is tough, she stays home and works on handmade products for some extra earnings. With her skill and hard work, P has helped improved her family economy.
Besides, with the encouragement of World Vision Vietnam and local women associations, P participated in meetings with other trafficking survivors to learn life skills.
She got to learn knowledge about gender equality, smart immigration, trafficking prevention, conflict solving, family financial management,… She remains an active member of women activities in her community, sharing her handicraft skills with other women.
In these social activities, P has found the meaning of her life, along with knowledge and skill she needs to take care of her family. She keeps good contacts with other women with similar past so that they can continue support each other in the pursuit of a better life in the future.
The latest time we met her, she was beamed with joy: “Seeing the kids growing up well day by day makes me aware of how lucky and happy I am. My only wish now is good health to work, to earn money to raise my kids and support my parents”.
Nguyen Ngoc Thanh – Social Worker, Quang Tri province