Tien’s Story
Tien was trafficked from Vietnam to China at the young age of 16, where she was sold to 3 different Chinese men.
Almost two years later, she managed to escape back to Vietnam, but due to financial difficulties, she couldn’t continue her studies and instead took up a job at her uncle’s coffee shop to make money. To make things worse, her hopes of improving things were dashed as the people in her hometown avoided her and looked down on her.
Being completely frightened, Tien lost all her confidence and often contemplated suicide.
The Department of Social Evil Prevention finally referred Tien to Hagar. She received shelter, health care, life skills training and career development there.
After being counselled and mentored by Hagar staff, Tien could speak up and express her intention to go back to school and one day become a social worker. It was a moment of profound happiness when Tien finally received the announcement of her passing to the Department of Social Work at the University of Social Labor.
Moreover, Tien has also got involved in Hagar's activities as being a volunteer with our Red Lotus group in Vietnam.
“I never thought I could be able to join a program like Red Lotus. I know there are peer support groups, but in this time of pandemic, I didn’t think I could join any. An online support group is amazing. Participating in Red Lotus helps me feel much better. Also, I had a chance to be a volunteer and even earned a certificate. I got to know lots of people, and together we shared our stories, learned new things and skills. In my opinion, this program is super helpful for my career of social worker in future as well.” – Tien
Tien is realising how beautiful life is, how bright her future holds, and her value. If you meet Tien, you will find a girl with strong energy and a warm heart who stood up to follow her dream.
Hagar pursues the highest degree of care and protection for each of its clients. To protect the identity of our clients, names have been changed, and images do not necessarily represent the individual profiled.
This project has received support from the Australian Government under the Australian NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP).
