Linh was trafficked by an employer who used her isolation and desperation against her. Not long before that Linh was trafficked by an employer who used her isolation and desperation against her.
Not long before that, she had been a professional with a stable life and a young son. When she moved overseas with her husband, she believed they were building a better future. Instead, she was abandoned in a country where she didn’t speak the language and had no support. Her son was taken from her.
An employer recognised her desperation and used it. He withheld her wages. Controlled her work. And coerced her sexually, telling her no one else would hire her and she had nowhere else to go. Linh was trapped.
For months she endured what was being done to her, believing she had no other option. Eventually, she found a way to return to Vietnam. But coming home did not mean the harm was over. She struggled to concentrate. To imagine working again. Even to call her son. The confident, capable woman she once was felt far away.
That was when she found Hagar.
Through trauma-informed counselling, case management, and steady support, she began rebuilding her life. Today, Linh is working again.
She speaks with her son each evening. And she describes herself not as broken, but rebuilding.
“I have rediscovered the independent, hardworking person I once was.”
Recovery like this takes time. And it only happens because people choose to support it.
Survivors of trafficking often carry trauma long after the exploitation ends. The damage is not just physical or practical. It reshapes how someone sees themselves. Recovery is built through steady, trauma-informed support.
Counselling. Case management.
Practical help rebuilding stability, confidence, and independence.
It is careful work.
It is patient work.
And it changes lives.
Your support helps make that possible.
When someone like Linh reaches out for help, trained professionals need to be there, ready to walk alongside her for as long as recovery takes.
Your gift today helps make that possible.
You can make a one-time gift, or provide ongoing support through monthly giving.
Either way, you become part of the steady work of rebuilding lives.
Your gift goes further before 31 March.
Gifts made before 31 March can be included in this year’s NZ donation tax credit claim (33% rebate from IRD).
Linh’s story is shared with her full consent. Her name has been changed to protect her identity. Hagar New Zealand supports survivors of trafficking, exploitation, and abuse through long-term, trauma-informed recovery services.
