For the next decade she was shuttled through the brothels that make. Under mams leadership, the two organizations seek to shelter and teach. As a girl she was sold into sexual slavery, but now she rescues others. Situations in europe and the somaly mam foundation in the united states. I remember reading somaly mams stories in half the sky and the road of lost innocence as a sophomore in high school. Parts of antisextrafficking activist somaly mams book are in question, leading to her recent resignation from her foundation. About the author somaly mam is the cofounder of afesip acting for women in distressing situations in europe and the somaly mam foundation in the united states, whose goal is to save and socially reintegrate victims of sexual slavery in southeast asia. Last week, somaly mam resigned from the foundation she cofounded seven years ago.
Her crusade against sex trafficking, and her charismatic personality, won her an audience of international donors who helped raise. Every year, it is estimated that over 1 million young children and women are sold into sexual slavery worldwide. I picked this book up after seeing somaly mam in the pbs film based on half the. Mams story gained a mass following with the release of her bestselling memoir, first published in france in 2005. In her memoir the road of lost innocence, somaly mam wrote of being sold into sex slavery, then eventually making her way to freedom and working to. Ten years later, mam launched her own notforprofit organization in the us. Somaly mam, who rose from rural poverty in cambodia to become a jetsetting and glamorous symbol of the fight against the exploitation of women and. Victims can lie as much as other people the atlantic. Cambodian activists fall exposes broad deception the. Mam and legros later divorced, but mam continued her work, launching the somaly mam foundation in the u.
A portion of the proceeds of this book will be donated to the somaly mam foundation. She set up the somaly mam foundation, raised money, appeared on major television programs, and spoke at. Afesip continues to run shelterbased programs in victim care and rehabilitation, while the somaly mam foundation has three core areas of focus. We are a nonprofit organization dedicated to the eradication of slavery and the empowerment of its survivors, based on the vision and lifes work of cambodian survivor somaly mam. From 1996 to 2014, mam was involved in campaigns against sex trafficking. Cambodian antitrafficking campaigner somaly mam exposed.
The books success helped the activist launch the somaly mam foundation in. The somaly mam foundation has a mandate similar to that of afesip but with a more global focus. Now, as a member of voices for change, she works with the somaly mam foundation to fight human trafficking. Sex slavery activist somaly mam quits foundation after. A riveting and beautiful memoir of tragedy and hopeby a woman named to time magazines list of the 100 most influential people in the world born in a village deep in the cambodian forest, somaly mam was sold into sexual slavery by her grandfather when she was twelve years old. The pain does not go away, but it becomes manageable. The somaly mam foundation, which worked against human trafficking and sexual exploitation, has closed five months after its founder resigned amid allegations of. Somaly mam born 1970 or 1971 is a cambodian antitrafficking advocate who focuses primarily on sex trafficking. The true story of a cambodian heroine somaly mam, 2005 random house 208 pp. She set up the somaly mam foundation, raised money, appeared on major. The foundation supports survivor rescue, shelter and rehabilitation programs globally with a special focus on southeast asia, where the trafficking of women and girls, some as young as five, is a widespread practice. Activist somaly mam quits foundation amid claims she faked. Click below to learn more about the half the sky movement, or watch the documentary on netflix. Somaly mam quotes author of the road of lost innocence.
Having obtained a license in november to operate the new americanbased foundation, mam told passblue in an email interview that the license would allow her to further some of the work she had been doing through the former foundation, albeit on a smaller scale. Together, we are committed to building a world free from slavery. The road of lost innocence is a moving account of a traumatic childhood and also the inspirational story of a determined and courageous woman devoted to helping other girls caught up in the illegal sex trade and violent underworld in cambodia. Jared greenberg didnt expect somaly mam to meet him at the airport in phnom penh.
Somaly mam author biography, plus links to books by somaly. If one or more works are by a distinct, homonymous authors, go ahead and split the author. Born in a village deep in the cambodian forest, somaly mam was sold into sexual. Somaly mam, a survivor and presentday activist, speaks at conferences, summits, and universities worldwide to share her story and address her solution. Go search best sellers gift ideas new releases deals. Her crusade against sex trafficking, and her charismatic personality. I remember feeling horrified and heartbroken by the traumatic experiences that she shared experiences that reflected an egregious reality of ongoing sex trafficking and forced prostitution in cambodia. In 2007, she cofounded the somaly mam foundation smf with two young americans. Somaly mam is the cofounder of afesip acting for women in distressing situations in europe and the somaly mam foundation in the united states, whose goal is to save and socially reintegrate victims of sexual slavery in southeast asia. The absence of rule of law provides a breeding ground for human rights atrocities such as human trafficking. Susan sarandon, petra nemcova and russell simmons show support for the somaly mam foundation by elise knutsen 102511 6.
Read the road of lost innocence as a girl she was sold into sexual slavery, but now she rescues others. The road of lost innocence by somaly mam, 9780385526227, available at book. The road of lost innocence by somaly mam overdrive. After being forced to witness her best friends brutal murder, she escaped her captors with the help of a french aid worker in 1993. Somaly mam has emerged to become a heroine for womens rights and the somaly mam foundation has established a funding vehicle to support antitrafficking organizations and to provide victims and survivors with a platform from which their voices can be heard around the world. Interview on newsweek somaly mam scandal cambodian anti. As the years went by, mam and her organization went from triumph to. I strongly believe that love is the answer and that it can mend even the deepest unseen wounds. After publishing her book, mam launched the somaly mam foundation.
Afesip cambodia is a nongovernmental, nonpartisan, and nonreligious organization established at the grassroot level in cambodia in 1996. Somaly mam is currently considered a single author. The somaly mam foundation was set up to raise funds for afesip. About a year later, mam set up the somaly mam foundation, the next step in her long journey to international recognition. Providing grants to direct victim services organizations including afesip 2. A riveting, raw, and beautiful memoir of tragedy and hope. The road of lost innocence by somaly mam is a heartbreaking story of a womans fight out of slavery and her quest to save others from suffering as she did. Lexisnexis has joined forces with somaly mam to help combat human trafficking wherever it exists. In her book mam said she attended school in cambodia, but did not graduate. Somaly mam 101 east talks to cambodias fallen antisex trafficking icon as she fights to restore her reputation and save her ngo. Love can heal, love can console, love can strengthen, and yes, love can make change. Somaly was raised in the forests of cambodia in a primitive tribe without electricity or running water. Somaly mam, antitrafficking crusader caught in a scandal.
When she returned home, she was rejected by her friends and family. A riveting, raw, and beautiful memoir of tragedy and hope born in. Today, with offices in new york and phnom penh, cambodia, smf is a nonprofit organization dedicated to eradicating the trafficking and sexual exploitation of women and girls in southeast asia, and empowering its survivors as part of the solution. The foundation funded afesip, which ran the shelters. On may 28, a week after newsweeks story appeared, the new yorkbased somaly mam foundation smf, as a result of its own independent, third.
After all, she was an awardwinning human rights activist, the head of a multinational organization. The somaly mam foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to combating sex trafficking in cambodia, has officially ceased all operations, ended all grant funding and permanently closed its. In 1997 somaly mam cofounded afesip to combat trafficking in women and children for sexual slavery. Cofounded by sexual slavery survivor, somaly mam, the foundation works to eradicate human trafficking, liberate its victims, and empower survivors so they can create and sustain lives of dignity. The email is identical to the text which is currently on the home page of this unfortunate charity organization. The dire situations of thousands of victims forced into sex slavery are the reason why afesip exists today. We are devoted to humanly correct development in order to fight against the trafficking of women and children for sex slavery. A riveting, raw, and beautiful memoir of tragedy and hopeborn in a village deep in the cambodian forest, somaly mam was sold into sexual slavery by her grandfather when she was twelve years old.