Through their years of experience working directly with survivors of human trafficking, Chab Dai team members have realized how nuanced and unique each person’s experiences are. But no one is better able to articulate this than the survivors themselves. The representatives of Chab Dai are switching to a survivor- focused approach to recovery services, increasingly helping survivors to tell their stories and advocate for their own needs in front of their peers and officials.

For Chab Dai, a Cambodia-based NGO fighting all forms of trafficking and abuse since 2005, the goal is to prevent, address and resolve trafficking in Cambodia at all stages that they may need assistance.

Once victims of trafficking are out of immediate physical or legal danger, their healing process is generally not quick or straightforward, explains Hang Rasmey, Chab Dai’s program director.

“Our team helps them [survivors] get out of hard situations, but one of the things we’d like to be working on is to help them remove themselves from their own internal situations as well,” says Rasmey, who explains this includes discrimination that arises within their community, depression and other mental health conditions, as well as discrimination they project upon themselves.