Chanhsy* and Putsavanh* two girls
from poor families in rural Laos were sold to work as maids in the homes
of the rich, in Thailand.
Once they arrived at their homes, the girls were locked inside as
though they were prisoners. Chanhsy, 13, was never paid in the three
years she worked as a domestic labourer. I worked from morning to
midnight, cooking, washing clothes, cleaning, feeding the dogs. I
couldn’t leave, they installed cameras to watch me. I was trapped inside
the house, Chanhsy says.
Putsavanh, 14, also worked endlessly without pay. When they were
not happy with my work, they beat me. One day they hit me so hard on the
ears that I could not hear anything for a long time,รข€ Putsavanh says.
Chanhsy left after she climbed over the wall while her employers
slept. She received help from other Lao nationals who were living in
Thailand and eventually worked with the Thai police to be repatriated to
Laos.
Putsavanh escaped after her employers’ dogs bit her. She was sent
back into Laos after she received assistance from a government-run
transit centre for victims of trafficking. She was returned to her
village with assistance from the Lao Government’s Ministry of Labour and
Social Welfare.
Both Chanhsy and Putsavanh have received reintegration support from
World Vision and the Lao government since they have returned home. World
Vision has helped the women develop technical skills that allow them to
work in their village. Both are now employed, Chanhsy as a market
gardener and Putsavanh as a tailor.
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