“My trip to Cambodia and Thailand was amazing and heartbreaking all at the same time. The reality of the sex trafficking in these countries was raw and right in front of my nose. In Cambodia in particular, each night as we would go out on the streets, middle aged and old white men were coming out of the woodwork like ants from a disturbed anthill. They would walk the streets or sit at sidewalk cafes and look until they found someone they wanted. Sitting in my hotel lobby I would watch them come and check in one by one with young girls by their side. Many of them underage. But the really young ones are kept hidden. We couldn’t get to see them, but apparently once you are a trusted client you can get whatever you want.

The last night that I was in Cambodia one particular girl caught my eye and broke my heart. She was small and young. Her frame couldn’t have been more than 90 lbs. She wore a ponytail. She looked scared. There were two large men with her. They were sitting in the lobby of my hotel. I saw them get up from the couch and walk her over to the elevators of the hotel, just like I had seen many other girls do throughout my week. My heart broke for her. And there was nothing I could do. The Russian mob there is powerful and we were warned to stay away. Unless you have legal right, kidnapping charges will be laid against you if you try to take her away. I was leaving early the next morning, but I wanted to stay by the elevator and wait for her. To hold her when she came down. To take her to a safe place. To give her a chance for a different life. But there was nothing I could do. Not at that moment anyway. But I can now. We can together. Through Rescue Her we can raise awareness, funds and volunteers to HELP. The one thing I walked away with is that the need is huge and whatever we are doing to help, we need to do more.”

Josie Carignan
www.rescueher.org