Read the recovery story of Cambodian girls Makara and Sopheak here. We are so proud of them!

With an estimated 256,800 people living in modern slavery, Cambodia has the highest level of slavery in the world after North Korea and Uzbekistan. Domestic and gender-based violence are common, with a recent UNICEF report revealing that one in five Cambodian men between the ages of 18 and 49 admitted to raping someone.

Hagar works directly with people who are the human face of these harrowing statistics. At the individual level, we ensure they have a safe place to live. We provide them with trauma counselling, medical care and legal advice to help them understand their rights and seek justice. They also have the opportunity to go to school, learn vocational skills or gain a university degree. Ultimately, because of Hagar they are able to overcome their trauma and be transformed.

At the national level, we work closely with the Royal Government of Cambodia and police to increase their knowledge of trafficking practices and trauma informed care.

We also developed a toolkit for legal professionals, which is now being used across Cambodia to ensure that children who have survived abuse are not re-traumatised during the legal process. We are currently working in close collaboration with First Step Cambodia, to support the government in developing Cambodia’s first set of social work standards.