Mobilising our Sisterhood of Change Agents to prevent online exploitation

Welcome to our new newsletter, The Journal -?where we will be sharing about our work in the field, campaigns, events, activities, and projects that celebrate our successes in protecting, preventing, and creating awareness of Online Child Sexual Exploitation, which is all possible because of you and your ongoing support.

FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S DESK

Hi, I'm Nigel!

I joined the AusCam Freedom Project as the new Executive Director this March. My excitement about AusCam's potential to enable young women to be the change agents who can protect themselves and other young women against trafficking and exploitation was so evident in my interview for the board that I was offered the job!

Cambodia has been home for me for well over half my life, and I've lived overseas for nearly two-thirds of my life, so it's an incredible opportunity to join and build AusCam here in Cambodia. It is the next step in a long journey. I have worked in development organisations, such as World Vision and Save the Children, here in Cambodia and Asia for the past 30 years. For the last 20 of those years, I have increasingly specialised in equipping teams and organisations to work together, support and release the tremendous power of youth as agents of change.?

I am also an ICF-accredited coach, a husband, and a father. I love triathlons, book clubs, photography, eating chocolate, and architecture. I've started various social enterprises in Cambodia and am an active Christian.

When I first came to Cambodia, the Khmer Rouge was still an active presence, the UN was pushing through the transition to democracy, and poverty was at crippling levels. Power cuts were about equal in time to having electricity, and bicycles dominated the streets. Cambodia’s development, poverty reduction, the emergence of a middle class and a generation traumatised by a dark history are being replaced by people who are creative, hopeful, and hungry for a bright future.? Along with celebrating 30 years since arriving in Cambodia, there is so much to celebrate.

We are building on foundations and heart

Recent research by UNICEF and other NGO partners here in Cambodia indicates that Online Child Sexual Exploitation (OCSE) impacts about 11% of children, some 160,000 lives that are traumatised and damaged each year - and this number is multiplying. The sheer volume and heartbreak of this is terrifying. We are responding to this, with a new focus on preventing and responding to OCSE.

This focus integrates with our mission: 'Ending trafficking and exploitation before it begins by protecting girls, especially those at high risk.' The online aspect of OCSE is why it can spread so quickly and pervasively. Still, it also allows us to fight fire with fire as we train, equip, catalyse, and support young women to learn about, research and create awareness-raising events and campaigns to spread the message across their networks. Enabling this sisterhood of change agents to grow and influence their country is our new strategic direction, building on technology to help multiply impact with chatbots, girl fora, research compilation and extensive use of social media to promote change that spreads sideways and multiplies.

'To build resilience in, equip and empower girls and young women to protect them from and prevent Online Child Sexual Exploitation (OCSE).'

This multiplication is only possible because of the heart and foundations that we have built within AusCam over many years. We have the social workers and the ability to do case management or crisis management as campaigns and awareness raising help communities and? girls to identify the victims, survivors and girls at risk who need support. Our soon-to-be-released chatbot helps girls and young women assess their level of risk and reach out for help through our hotline. We have partnerships with Cambodian high schools and with other NGOs that work to protect and care for girls. We have had long-term girls' clubs and alumni of hundreds of girls who have been able to stay in school, find jobs, or attend university because of our work and the generous support of you, our partners.?

It is upon this hopeful, resilient, and equipped foundation of young women who want to give back and prevent the misery of OCSE that we are now ready to launch out to help them have a voice that is louder, stronger, and more persuasive than OCSE. We see our sisterhood of change agents as everyday heroes who know they are too good and have too much hope to be lured into exploitation.

VIDEO CAMPAIGNS TO PREVENT OCSE

Nothing brings more happiness and fulfillment to our AusCam Freedom Project family than to see the young women we support embrace opportunities and change in a life-changing journey to become an empowered sisterhood of community leaders.

Recently, 25 young women invested two days to develop their leadership skills in campaign workshops on preventing, protecting, and creating awareness of Online Child Sexual Exploitation (OCSE).?

Following on from these workshops, the young women presented their two-minute communication campaign videos to AusCam staff and supporters Terre des Homme and Ethical Partners. The four videos were judged on the number of 'likes' received from our Facebook channel with the two teams with the most liked videos engaging in an afternoon workshop of reflection and learning on how to extend their changemaker campaign work in the community.

SOPHEA CONTINUES JOURNEY TO FULFIL HER DREAMS

One of AusCam’s young women creatives who attended the campaign workshop on OCSE, Sophea, the youngest sibling of six children, is now achieving her self-development goals and supporting her family and community long-term.

She was one of the first young girls we enrolled in our school scholarship program, receiving study materials, a bicycle, rice support, money for extra tuition, and a scholarship to attend university.

Sophea’s 10-year journey with us from a 14-year-old has been remarkable. Recently turning 24, Sophea’s story is one of sheer determination, resilience, and hard work to achieve her dreams.

Today, Sophea excels as a third-year undergraduate studying Social Work at the Royal University of Phnom Penh (RUPP).

‘I can now be in society alone with confidence,’ she said. ‘I feel safe and happy with my current life.’

Along the journey to university studies, Sophea's early stories were captured in two award-winning documentaries, 'Sophea's Dream' and 'Sophea: Changing Her World'.

Sophea revelled in the interaction and support within the sisterhood as the young women actively engaged in the fun campaign workshop activities to build their communication and leadership skills.

‘We collected new ideas and discussed online and offline child sexual exploitation with other young women in the Girls-led Community. It made me feel like I belonged to a powerful group. I especially liked making a video for pitching our campaign ideas on creating awareness of child exploitation to our friends, family and community.'

‘What this workshop did was help us to not just think about the problem but work out a solution. We learned not just to tell people what to do but guide them to think about what they should do and give examples to help them to take action.’?

Sophea said she saw the young women grow strong and confident by having fun in the workshops.

‘I want to share what I learn from the campaign workshop and OCSE issue with girls and young women in my community because I want young women to be free and not fall into OCSE issues.’

It is through our equipping, empowering, and connecting such changemakers as Sophea that AusCam Freedom Project sees a lasting, protective change within Cambodia. As Sophea speaks out against the issues and shares ways to protect herself, she is building a core of leadership and resilience within her life.

LAUNCHING A CHATBOT TO SUPPORT GIRL SAFETY ONLINE

We have great news on our ongoing efforts to engage with technology to make girls and young women safe.?

We have partnered with organizations Action Pour Les Enfants (APLE) and Terre des Homme Netherlands to launch a support chatbot.

The virtual assistant can help girls and young women navigate complex pathways and provide people with options for reporting and tips on collecting evidence on keeping safe. These incidents can be sent to regulators and social media platforms requesting the images to be removed and instigators blocked from the site.?

Executive Director Nigel Goddard said implementing the chatbot system provides appropriate online and offline help and protection to girls and young women.

‘This chatbot will enable girls and young women to seek help and report exploitation,’ he said. ‘It is a key step in our new strategy to equip and mobilise young women to connect, campaign, and challenge one another to be safe online.’

Read more

DALIN ALEJANDRINO EXHIBITION SUPPORTS FUNDRAISING EFFORTS

We celebrate Dalin Alejandrino’s incredible creative talent on the eve of her art exhibition in Sydney.??

Dalin was a board member for four years. She was born in Cambodia but has spent most of her life in Australia. Dalin discovered her 'incredible' talent for art and recently has turned her focus to being creative and continues to be committed to supporting AusCam.

Dalin will conduct her first solo exhibition from Friday, May 19 to June 16 and is donating 20% of her sales to AusCam!?

Dalin's new body of work pays homage to Cambodia, its land, heritage, and provincial life, so it's quite a personal story for her and her love for the country. This exhibition is a fantastic opportunity for you to support a local artist and our work at AusCam.?

Below is more information about Dalin's beautiful collection ~ Provincial Sunset.