In Cambodia, years after the terror of Pol Pot’s regime, children are being raised by parents who have suffered post traumatic stress from the massacre of the Khmer Rouge. I was asked to train Bible College students in Phnom Penh how to overcome stress and trauma. This was a huge task, given the generations of trauma that must be overcome.
Marianne Clyde's daughter and daughter-in-law (Heather and Heather) with a Cambodian child.
I was also able to meet with victims of human trafficking. Young girls who have either been held against their will to serve as sex slaves, children who have been kidnapped or bought to beg on the streets in order to provide income to harsh task masters, and young women who had been sold by their families so that the parents could feed the rest. The stories are heart wrenching, yet the healing does come as the girls are taught skills to help them make a living in different ways, such as sewing, hair dressing, weaving.
World Hope International has set up an Anti-trafficking assessment center where victims come for immediate help and can then be placed appropriately in a safe, empowering environment.
It takes a long time for a country to heal from so much corruption and devastation, but World Hope is working hard toward making this a reality.
For information about private counseling or group classes, call Marianne Clyde, LMFT: (540) 347-3797.
