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When Trust is Exploited: The story of Mitra

Trust is a good thing to have in any relationship. However, there are times when trust could be exploited, and that is when tragedy happens.

Mitra came from a poor family and lived an impoverished life. When she reached 15 years old, the sister of her stepmother said to her,

I have a job for you. Although you will have to move to another country, you will earn a lot more to provide for your family.

Mitra completely trusted her aunt, given that she was a close relative to her family. As a result, Mitra listened to her and moved to a neighbouring country for work.

Unbeknownst to Mitra, her aunt owned and managed a brothel. When Mitra found out, she attempted multiple escapes, or worse, suicide, but all the effort was in vain. With no power to run away, she compromised her control and exploitation, which came in the form of physical assault and sexual abuse. Her life contained nothing but agony.

After then, her aunt (the brothel owner) decided to further exploit the trust between Mitra and her other relatives. Mitra was forced to phone her cousins to persuade them to leave home for the same “work” opportunity. With the power of trust, her cousins believed it and fell into the same trap of being sold to the brothel.

We are thankful that Mitra was rescued out of it eventually. Despite leaving the brothel, Mitra was still left with much fear and pain from the tragic experiences. Our partner Eden Myanmar then reached out to Mitra and helped her walk out of the dark period with counselling and care. With the help, Mitra was able to see the value in life again and learn to survive with new skills. She is now a qualified jewellery product technician, making her own living and starting a new life.

For many rescued victims of human trafficking like Mitra, the damages are long-term after the ordeals. Instinctually, they become alert to, if not afraid of, the people surrounding them.

CEDAR works through Eden Myanmar, our partner in Myanmar, to provide holistic services for people who were trafficked, including trauma-informed cognitive behavioural therapy (TF-CBT) that helps them overcome traumatic experience; occupational and life-skills training that equips them for re-entering the society; medical assistance for women with HIV/AIDS, as well as backyard gardening training that enables them to provide for themselves once they return to their own villages.

 

Your Response

  • Take part in “Remove Price Tag, Free Body & Soul” Donation Campaign against Human Trafficking.
  • Earlier this year, we launched a Christian devotional app “施予達仁” which helps Christians deepen spiritual growth and respond to the needs of the world. The devotional articles from 20 August have been focusing on anti-human trafficking. We invite you to download our app by clicking here.