Empower Abused and Trafficked Vietnamese Women

Highlights

• In September, 22 women and youth from extremely difficult backgrounds, including human trafficking and domestic violence, attended a six-day business skills training course organised by Hagar’s Economic Empowerment department. The training equipped participants with basic business skills to strengthen their capacity and improve their economic situation. The program included sessions in business management and planning, marketing, product development, a value chain field visit and an introduction of social enterprise.
• Hagar was able to share its work with a national audience! Hagar’s Psychology department cooperated with
  VTV2, a popular Vietnam Television channel, to produce an episode of the “Ky Nang Thoat Hiem” (Escape from Danger) TV programme. The episode focused on human trafficking in Vietnam and its influences on victims. Hagar’s psychologist shared about common challenges victims experience and techniques they can apply to support themselves before they can access professional support. The episode will be shared once English subtitles have been added.
•  Hagar Vietnam hosted Hagar International’s Country Leader’s Meeting in mid-September. Events included a
  cocktail party to introduce Hagar’s leaders to Hagar Vietnam’s dearest friends, government and business
  partners in Hanoi. Fifty participants, including Hagar staff and Hagar Vietnam’s donors, government and business
  partners attended.
• A new partnership was developed with the local NGO, Center for Counseling, Research and Empowering
  Community (CoRE) in Hanoi, to implement the “Empowering Women for Life” programme. This new relationship was formally approved by the government at the end of September. The programme takes Hanoi-based clients through the “whole journey” from victim to survivor. CoRE’s target group is young adults under 30. CoRE’s focus areas are mental health, essential life skills, planning and development, management of clubs and projects, leadership and organising skills, and specialised skills in social work and counselling. This partnership will enable Hagar Vietnam to open two new shelters in Hanoi to provide support to our clients more effectively.

Numbers

1  woman continues to work at JOMA
    woman continues her on-the job training as an accountant at JOMA
    woman started on-the-job-training at the Hilton Hanoi Opera Hotel
    woman started on-the-job training at the Hanoi Westlake Intercontinental Hotel
    woman received reintegration support including living expenses and rental fees

27 Counseling sessions with women

In Their Own Words

“I agreed to take part in a TV programme on human trafficking to tell my story so that other vulnerable people will have courage to seek help and start their journey of recovery and development  the way I have been doing at Hagar.”
Thien, 21 year old survivor of labor trafficking

“I am very thankful to have Hagar support my sister and be with her through all the ups and downs. I know it is tough but you have been always trying very hard to empathise and encourage my sister.”
Ha’s elder brother. Ha is a 17 year-old survivor of domestic violence

“I find it very useful to participate in the business skills training course at Hagar. It helps me to better run my own small plate business as well as other business plans in the future.”
Na, 50 year old survivor of domestic violence

• Hagar Vietnam participated as a panelist in the multi-stakeholder Roundtable Discussion on Human Trafficking and People Smuggling organized by the Australian Federal Police, Vietnam Ministry of Public Security and RMIT University. The platform allowed Hagar to share about work with trafficking police and law enforcement officers from 20 different countries.

• 8 clients created art in a beginner’s painting course that has been delivered to Hagar New Zealand for anupcoming art auction.

• 3 clients were accepted to a six-monthtraining in hospitality service organized byReach and a group of 5-star hotels in Hanoi 
• 3 clients participated in job training that includedlearning skills like CV writing, interview techniques,job searching skills and professional behaviour in theworkplace

* 33 counselling sessions conducted with clients

Linh’s Story – “I am no longer alone”

Linh, 32, was introduced to Hagar in December 2013. She came to us with a two-year-old baby who had a congenitalheart disease. Linh had nothing and no one to call for help.

Linh had been adopted by a farming couple at a very young age. Her life totally changed when her adoptive motherpassed away. Depressed following his wife’s death, Linh’s adoptive father did not care about anything in his life,not even Linh. He neglected her and treated her badly. Finally, Linh ran away and became homeless at the age of15. With no job, no money and no education, she had to struggle every day to manage her own life.

“Poverty was not scary. What made me obsessive was loneliness. I was dreaming of a complete and happy familyevery night. I do not even know my biological parents. Who are they? Where are they living? How have they beendoing? Do they still remember me?” Linh asks these questions over and over again, in tears.

With a strong desire to have a family of her own, Linh decided to share life with a young man she loved. Shebelieved he could bring a safe life for her with love and care even though he did not have a stable job. They starteda new life without a marriage certificate.

Linh was extremely happy when she gave birth to a daughter two years ago. However, the baby was diagnosedwith congenital heart disease and her boyfriend became violent and alcohol-addicted. He could not control hisanger when he heard his daughter crying in pain. Day by day, Linh desperately suffered from his violent abuse.Once again, she chose to run away from her offender, taking her daughter to search for help. Fortunately, she wasintroduced to Hagar in those darkest days of her life.

After an initial assessment, it was clear that Linh’s greatest need was to secure enough money for her baby’s heartsurgery. Hagar cooperated with East Meets West and a group of individual sponsors to make her dream thissurgery come true. With the baby’s medical needs met, Hagar brought Linh for a health check-up, and she learnedthat she had a tumor in her neck which required surgery. This unexpected news frightened Linh. She hesitated toaddress her own medical issues because she was worried that her daughter’s medical needs were more important;however, after receiving counseling services, Linh made the decision to receive treatment. Both Linh’s and herdaughter’ surgeries were successful.

“If we had not been supported by Hagar and other organizations and individuals, my daughter and I would havenot been able to overcome darkness. We would have been living on the streets without hope for the future. Now, Iwill take care of my daughter and work hard to bring a good life for my child. At least, it will be better than mine”,Linh shared.

Hagar’s next step is to provide legal support to Linh, including working with her to obtain an ID card and her familyrecords so that she can become an official citizen before she celebrates her 33rd birthday, enabling her to accesssocial services and build a stable life.

Linh is also receiving counseling services on career orientation so that she can begin working as soon as possible.She shows excitement at learning to be a hair-dresser. Hagar is confident that Linh will take advantage of theservices provided and turn over a new leaf in her and her daughter’s future life together.