Mai’s Story
Elise van Boxtel Elise van Boxtel

Mai’s Story

After enduring severe abuse and exploitation from a young age, Mai’s sense of self-worth was shattered. Despite her resilience in pursuing her dream of becoming a nurse, the weight of her trauma eventually forced her to give up. Through Hagar’s support, including counselling, vocational training, and case management, Mai has begun to heal and rebuild her life. She is now embracing her inner strength and finding joy in everyday moments.

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Mann Hoen's Story
Elise van Boxtel Elise van Boxtel

Mann Hoen's Story

Living without electricity, Mrs. Mann Hoen and her family faced daily struggles in their isolated home in Siem Reap province. With no lights, her children struggled to study at night, and daily tasks were made difficult. In late 2023, Hagar provided the family with a solar panel, transforming their lives. Now, with electricity, the children can study safely at night, and the family has hope for a brighter future.

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Rokai’s Story
Elise van Boxtel Elise van Boxtel

Rokai’s Story

Rokai* is a 6 year old boy who has already faced more challenges in his short life than most of us could imagine. But today, thanks to the care and support he’s receiving, he is finally beginning to feel safe and sound.

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Jayda’s Story
Elise van Boxtel Elise van Boxtel

Jayda’s Story

Jayda's journey from exploitation to empowerment is a testament to her resilience. Rescued from a karaoke bar at sixteen, she and other girls were placed in protective shelters to heal. Growing up in a difficult environment, Jayda struggled to see a future beyond nightclubs and bars. However, with support from Hagar, she discovered a passion for electronics, pursued vocational training, and is now preparing for university. Jayda's determination to turn her life around shines brightly as she embarks on a new chapter, ready to build a brighter future.

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Lan’s* Story 
Elise van Boxtel Elise van Boxtel

Lan’s* Story 

Lan's journey from silent endurance to empowerment is a powerful testament to resilience. Enduring emotional and physical torment, she joined the 'Decreasing Gender-Based Violence in Ethnic Communities' project, where she learned crucial skills in stress management and nonviolent communication. These tools helped her transform her family dynamics and empowered her to prioritise her wellbeing. With newfound economic support, Lan and her husband are working towards a brighter future, united in their goal to provide a nurturing environment for their children's education and growth.

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Raksa's Story
Elise van Boxtel Elise van Boxtel

Raksa's Story

Raksa's journey from despair to hope is a testament to her resilience. After being lured into human trafficking under the guise of a job opportunity, she endured a year of forced labour and abuse before being rescued and repatriated to Cambodia. With the support of Hagar, she has transformed her life, securing stable employment, paying off her family's debt, and caring for her younger brother. Raksa is now on a path to a brighter future, filled with gratitude for the support that helped her rebuild her life.

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Veasna's Story
Elise van Boxtel Elise van Boxtel

Veasna's Story

Veasna, a one-week-old baby, was found abandoned in Siem Reap, Cambodia, in desperate need of medical attention. With the help of Hagar and local authorities, he was rushed to the hospital and placed in the care of a compassionate foster family. Despite a challenging start to life, Veasna is now thriving, receiving ongoing medical care and the love he needs to grow. His foster mother is committed to providing him with a brighter future, filled with hope and opportunity.

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Ghorzang's story
Elise van Boxtel Elise van Boxtel

Ghorzang's story

Ghorzang's story is one of survival and renewal. After being forced to leave school to support his family, he faced poverty, abuse, and separation. His journey took him across borders, from Pakistan to Afghanistan, enduring months of hardship. A turning point came when he found refuge at the Hagar/FNM Child Protection Shelter, where he received the care and support needed to heal and reconnect with his family. Now, Ghorzang is back in school, safe and hopeful, with a brighter future ahead.

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Muad's Story
Elise van Boxtel Elise van Boxtel

Muad's Story

Muad was just a child when he was trafficked and exploited for labour. After years of enduring unimaginable hardships, Muad was rescued and brought into Hagar’s care. Through trauma-informed counselling, education, and long-term support, Muad has reclaimed his life and is now thriving. His resilience and determination to build a better future for himself show the incredible strength of survivors.

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Tam’s Story
Elise van Boxtel Elise van Boxtel

Tam’s Story

Tam's life was fraught with challenges and hardship. As the primary provider for her family in Yen Bai province, Vietnam, she faced not only the responsibility of caring for her children, both of whom have special needs, but also endured years of domestic violence from her husband. Her situation was further complicated when her daughter, who has a cognitive disability, was sexually assaulted, resulting in the birth of Tam's granddaughter. With limited financial resources and the sole income earner in her family, Tam's life was a constant battle against poverty, violence, and the pursuit of stability for her loved ones.

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Malis’ Story
Elise van Boxtel Elise van Boxtel

Malis’ Story

Growing up on the outskirts of Phnom Penh City, Cambodia, in a family struggling with severe economic instability, Malis took on the responsibility of supporting her family from a young age. At 16, she left home to work as a garment worker, hoping to ease her family's financial burden. However, lured by the promise of financial support from a wealthy Chinese man, Malis found herself trapped in a nightmare. She was illegally transported to China, where she faced two years of captivity, forced into sexual activities and domestic servitude. Multiple attempts to escape her predicament only led to further exploitation until her eventual arrest and repatriation to Cambodia.

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Lailima’s Story
Elise van Boxtel Elise van Boxtel

Lailima’s Story

Lailima's life before Hagar was marked by profound adversity. As a young woman from Afghanistan's Hazara community, her dreams of pursuing higher education were shattered by the Taliban's regime change in 2021, which imposed severe restrictions on women's rights. The subsequent economic downturn led to her family's financial ruin, compelling Lailuma into an abusive marriage in exchange for financial relief. This period of her life was characterised by gender-based violence and a deepening sense of despair, as she struggled to find a way to support her family and protect her younger siblings from the harsh realities of their situation.

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Zabiullah’s Story
Elise van Boxtel Elise van Boxtel

Zabiullah’s Story

Zabiullah’s story encompasses the harrowing journey of a young boy who faced abuse and exploitation but found solace and support through the efforts of the Forgotten No More (FNM) Center. Initially burdened by feelings of isolation and hopelessness, Zabiullah’s mental well-being improved significantly through counselling and engagement in various activities. The FNM team's relentless dedication enabled the successful reunification of the boy with his family, ensuring his safety and providing him with the tools to protect himself. This story not only sheds light on the boy's traumatic experiences but also showcases the transformative impact of the FNM Center, offering hope for a brighter future.

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Champai’s Story
Elise van Boxtel Elise van Boxtel

Champai’s Story

After being trafficked into China at the age of 15, Champai spent three years in a living hell. After escaping her capturer and returning to Cambodia she came into Hagar’s care. Today she has been reunited with her family and it developing a passion for baking and coffee.

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Ngan's Story
Elise van Boxtel Elise van Boxtel

Ngan's Story

Ngan's story reflects a journey of remarkable resilience. Enduring years of abuse, she ultimately found the strength to escape a life of torment. With Hagar's compassionate support, she achieved her long-awaited freedom. Discover how Ngan's story inspires hope and change.

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Hanh’s Story
Elise van Boxtel Elise van Boxtel

Hanh’s Story

Hanh, a 17-year-old Vietnamese girl, fell prey to human traffickers who lured her into a web of deceit and forced her into a life of slavery. After enduring years of captivity, she escaped, received comprehensive care from Hagar Vietnam, and now thrives as a resilient entrepreneur in her Northern Vietnamese village.

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Bac’s Story
Elise van Boxtel Elise van Boxtel

Bac’s Story

Discover Bac's inspiring journey from human trafficking survivor in China to returning to Vietnam with the help of Hagar. Tragically trafficked from the age of two, Bac and his mother endured unimaginable hardships. After returning to Vietnam without identification, Hagar provided essential support, empowering Bac's recovery and fostering a brighter future. Learn how their lives transformed through Hagar's compassionate assistance.

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Shakiba’s Story
Elise van Boxtel Elise van Boxtel

Shakiba’s Story

In Afghanistan, Shakiba, a resilient widow and mother of four, struggled for years due to family conflicts, joblessness, poverty, and her spouse's loss. Her mental health suffered for five long years. When the RLL project introduced a tailoring cooperative in PD13, Shakiba eagerly joined, benefitting from both cooperative services and psycho-social sessions. These sessions addressed issues like anger, aggression, relationships, self-esteem, OCD, and PTSD. After just four months of dedication to five individual and eleven group sessions, Shakiba's life improved dramatically, leaving her content and grateful.

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Tra’s Story
Elise van Boxtel Elise van Boxtel

Tra’s Story

Nothing, other than Tra's boundless love for her children, can explain her fortitude while living in adversity for many years. 

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Xoan’s Story
Elise van Boxtel Elise van Boxtel

Xoan’s Story

Not only did Xoan run to escape domestic violence, but she also had to race against the struggles of survival. With a meager salary from her husband’s unstable job, earnings from odd jobs, and profits from livestock farming, Xoan managed to provide for her family of four, including her husband, mother-in-law, a young daughter, and herself.

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