Save This Girl's Life

Her tiny frame fills only a portion of the rattan chair where she sits looking much younger than her 14 years. The new, white button down shirt and navy blue skirt are in contrast to her bare feet. She is grasping a small green bag in her lap with arms that are covered in scars. Like an iceberg, the scars only reveal a hint of the horror she experienced. Black hair frames her eyes that settle on something far away. Whether she is fixated on some small chip on a distant wall or on the larger hole she feels in her heart, we cannot be certain. There is one thing that is apparent: while she is physically present in the room, she is not here. Those with her now hope that she knows she is safe, but better senses know that she doesn't. Life has taught her never to believe in her own safety.

Here is the Transitions Global shelter in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Here, victims of human trafficking and sexual slavery transform into survivors and productive, valued citizens of the world. Here, Channary Pen* is sitting during her intake with the shelter director and two social workers. Here, she will learn to dream again.

But I have gotten ahead of myself. Her story, alhthough awful to bear witness to, is deserving of attention.

Channary comes from a province outside Phnom Penh. By the young age of seven, she was selling ice and cane juice to help make money for her poverty stricken family. Her family was not unique; 35% of Cambodians live below the poverty line, which according to the Cambodian government is $0.45 per day. When Channary was eleven, her family was approached by a man from out of town who offered to purchase her. Whether it was the amount of money he offered or simply the prospect of having one less child to care for, her parents accepted the offer. Her life would never be the same.

The man who purchased Channary was violent. He raped and abused her daily. What is perhaps worse, this man cut her body with a knife as he raped her. These are the scars that will be an eternal reminder of her torment. At some point, the man fell ill and went to the hospital. Shockingly, he took Channary with him and managed to rape her even in the hospital. Fortunately, a neighbor took notice of her and called the police. She was rescued by a human rights group and the man is currently serving a prison sentence for her abuse. Channary was in captivity for not days, not weeks, or even months. Channary lived a hell on earth for a ghastly three years.

The group who rescued Channary quickly realized that her abuse was so severe and her case so bleak, she needed more care than they could provide. Transitions Global is known for being the shelter other shelters bring their most troubled and broken cases--girls that they cannot handle or help.

On the day of her intake--the day Channary sat in the rattan chair present in body, yet gone in spirit--Transitions Global was at full capacity in budget and in space. Still, they could not turn her away.

Rehabilitation for a girl costs approximately $8,000. This includes shelter, dental and medical treatment, therapy and vocational opportunities. I can't help but wonder how many people might be reading this small article and how many people might forward the article to someone else. I can't help but wonder how many people might be willing to step up and make a donation to Transitions Global in this young girl's name. We might not be able to solve all the problems of the world or protect every girl from the horror of sexual slavery. But we can save one girl's live. Contact Transtions Global by clicking the link and follow their website to make a donation. They can ensure that your donation goes to Channary's care. It is possible to bring her back, give her hope and allow her to dream again. You can save a girl's life today.

*Because Channary is a minor and has suffered enough indignity, I have changed her name.

Changing Lives: A Benefit for Transitions Global.

The benefit for Transitions Global was, as anticipated, a wonderful and inspiring evening. It was a great opportunity to connect with people who care and work for human rights in many different ways. I am inspired by how so many people bring their own unique talents and skills to the table. I firmly believe that problems can only be solved when we are all willing to come to the table.
Among the many, I was especially able to see my friend Beth Klein. She is an attorney in Colorado who has dedicated her life to human rights and social justice. I can wait until she announces her next big thing!
James Pond, the executive director and co-founder of Transitions Global spoke eloquently and passionately about the work he and his wife, Athena are doing. He shared the moving story of a new young girl at the TLC shelter in Cambodia. I will be sharing her story here very soon.
If you had hoped to attend the benefit or simply wanted to donate to Transitions Global, please click here.

Hatch or Go Bad

I've noticed a theme in the lives of many of my friends, colleagues and myself, for that matter: CHANGE. For some, the change is uninvited and unwelcome. For others, it's an unexpected opportunity. Still others are crafting a change of their own design. It can be change relating to career, family, love or location. Regardless of how much control we feel (or don't feel) about the changes occurring in our lives or what part of our lives will be affected, the common thread is that change is scary...terrifying, even. Aristotle said that change in all things is sweet. Perhaps...but we can't experience the sweetness of the change before we taste the sour sting of the process. No change is painless.

Perhaps the most agonizing part of change is the choice involved. Chocolate or vanilla? Stay or go? Go out on the limb or find solid ground?  Even when it is a change we did not ask for, we must choose how to proceed in the face of change. Are we able to muster grace when we are fearful and doubting? Can we offer mercy when we are pulled toward revenge? Can we forgive ourselves when we do neither? The truth is, we are often not at our best selves in this metamorphosis.

So, why then, do we change? C.S. Lewis put it pretty starkly, "We cannot go on indefinitely being just an ordinary, descent egg. We must be hatched or go bad." When we accept that we must change, that it must occur around us and in us, we can begin accept the distress of it. Ever see a real bird hatching? Forget the Easter images of cute chicks in perfectly halved shells. It is not a pretty sight. It is messy, slimey business. Accept that you are suppose to feel, at best, uncomfortable. We are fraught, raw-nerved and vulnerable during these periods of change.  If we are lucky enough, those who care for us will also ride out the storm of change along with us. We are each becoming who we are meant to be. Have patience.