Ms. Kristine Sa and Ms. Thuy Phan with Vietnamese children in Cambodia
OBV joyfully welcome Ms. Kristine Sa and Ms. Thuy Phan to visit OBV in Cambodia on May 10th, 2013. Ms. Kristine Sa is Public Relations Director of OBV; and Ms Thuy Phan is Producer of "In Focus" Program. Our children have a great time to meet and talk with them. Ms. Kristine Sa and Ms. Thuy Phan will continue attending Mission trip in Vietnam and Singapore with Father Martino during this May.
Again, we would like to thank you very much for giving us the warm and welcoming atmosphere as well as the chance to meet both of you.
I felt sadness looking at the little girl. I feel resentment towards her mother and sisters.
M. lives in Arey-ksath, her family practice Buddhism, orphaned by her father at a young age. They are of Vietnamese origin and very poor. A year ago, she was still a little child with runny nose. But now she is a 14 year old developing girl.
Father Martino with A.T.
In the past when Father Martino wanted to bring me to OBV, I denied the suggestion because I did not want to be far away from my family, be separated and be in a different environment, because it would make me to remember the past. Furthermore, I did not want to receive too much help from others….Those were my thinking back then.
However, meeting with children from OBV house through various activities and events have changed my mind. Gradually, I have realized that the help and protection from Father, Sisters and OBV staffs are totally different from previous experiences.
Daddy Thong, OBV children and the Volunteers frolicking on the beach
Dear Daddy and the volunteers,
After the trip, Mom N. told us to write a reflection. Actually we were afraid of doing this not because we didn’t have any feelings but we had too much feelings that we didn’t know how to write. Daddy and Mom, please don’t laugh at us when reading this.
Daddy, you are very busy with your business but you didn’t forget your promise with us six months ago. You said you would take us to the beach on holiday. This time you came home with the volunteers and brought us lots of love and happiness. We couldn’t say anything but thank you all.
Father Martino and I with the younger girls in OBV house
Vietnam is my homeland. Amidst its vibrant landscape, eclectic culture, exquisite food, and the hustle and bustle of city life, Vietnam revealed a dark truth to me: the TRAFFICKING OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN for sexual exploitation. Protected beneath the power of the social umbrella of Canada, I was NAIVE and IGNORANT to the fact that not all children are immune to enslavement. Children as young as 6 years old are recruited or extracted from vulnerable communities and sold to "retail" sex shops.
Here we are at the central market in Phomn Penh. Father Martino is taking M., D., and G., to Singapore the following day on January 20th to have paperwork done in order to facilitate their potential future studies in the USA. It would be their first time in Cambodia, first time on a plane, first time in a big, beautiful city like Singapore. Life wasn't always so grand and spectacular for these girls.
Singer Nhu Loan
