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Somaly Mam Research Paper

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Somaly Mam was born in Bou Sra around 1970, lived there until she was nine, then went with a man who claimed he was her grandfather to Thlok Chrov. There she realized he was nowhere near a grandfather as she had to clean, cook, wash and fetch water for him and anyone else in the town who would pay him. If she was late or did something wrong, grandfather would beat her. During her time there, she took a liking to the river, Mekong River, where she met a boy who introduced her to Mam Khon and Pen Navy. Mam and Pen welcomed Somaly into their home where she got a meal and a family. Grandfather was a man of many debts. To pay off one of them, he gave her body to a Chinese merchant who took her virginity when he raped her. Grandfathers then married her to Than, a soldier who beat her and only used her for sex and food during their marriage. …show more content…

He took her to a brothel where she was sold every night to multiple men who could beat her, rape her, or please themselves how they deemed fit. After more than three years at the brothel, a man named Dietrich paid for Somaly to be his special friend at his home. She was with him for six months before he had to leave. Dietrich gave her one hundred thousand dollars to take care of expenses when she refused to go with him. She then met Pierre, who wanted to marry her, and eventually they married to move to France together. They moved back not long after to a town named Kratie. There Somaly came up with ideas to save the girls in the brothels: creating a shelter, taking some into her own home, speaking out to make those aware of what is happening all around them. Some girls wanted to help and together they created the Voices for Change. They have told their stories, made everyone more aware of the dangers of human trafficking, and given advice to help stop it (Sher Breaking

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