Somaly Mam

"There are 20.9 million victims of trafficking worldwide as of 2012" ("Child Trafficking Statistics"). Somaly Mam has created a safe path to safety for many young girls caught in sex trafficking in Cambodia by exposing the true nature of forced prostitution to the public. Mam was born in the Mondulkiri province of Cambodia around 1970. She is unsure of her real age and name since she has no legal papers, and she has been an orphan for as long as she remembers. At the age of 12, a man posing as her grandfather took Mam into his custody. But she was soon sold into the sex trade to pay his debts. She was in a brothel until she was forced to watch her best friend get shot in the head. At that moment, she decided she needed to escape this torture. With the help of a man named Perrie Legros, she made her way to France. But she did not forget the people left in Cambodia. At age 22, she returned and focused her life on helping more girls get out of sex slavery. She has saved at least 7,000 girls since then. The dedication, selflessness, and bravery that Somaly Mam has shown makes her a true hero. Although she has had an extremely troubled life, she still selflessly helps girls get out of the sex trade by running two foundations, providing the girls with emotional support, and continuing her rescue mission, even with the multiple death threats her and her family receive.

Instead of taking the easy path when Somaly Mam got out of slavery, she selflessly used her experience to help others get rescued by focusing her energy into making the public more aware of the situation. Her generous and charitable acts show that she cares dearly for others. "The fact that she escaped makes her unique, but what makes her truly extraordinary is that she went back. While, understandably, most people would spend the rest of their lives quietly recovering from their wounds, Mam decided to confront the system that continues to victimize Cambodian girls." (Jolie, Angelina). Somaly's bravery and dedication is very prominent in her actions. What she is doing has caused a lot of emotional and physical stress. Mam's dedication to help others despite her own hardships makes her a genuine hero. In her book, The Road of Lost Innocence, Somaly illustrates why she is so determined to do what she does. "People ask me how I can bear to keep doing what I do. I'll tell you. The evil that's been done to me is what propels me on. Is there any other way to exorcise it...My punishment was harsh, but the way they punish prostitutes today is far worse than anything I ever had to suffer...Now I see girls in brothels with nails hammered into their skulls. That sounds unbelievable, but we have photos. Girls are chained, beaten with electric cables. They go mad." (190). Somaly realizes that she has gone through tough things, but she still focuses on others rather than herself. She readily offers a high amount of emotional support to broken people caught in a mess. Mam's selflessness has encouraged many people to help her cause and save more girls from the heartbreaking torture of sex slavery.

Since Somaly Mam got out of the sex trade, she has been helping other girls to safety by creating and leading two foundations: the Acting For Women in Distressing Situations (AFESIP), a French organization, and the Somaly Mam Foundation in the United States. Mam's two foundations help girls all over Cambodia get out of the sex trade. "Under Somaly's leadership, AFESIP employs a holistic approach that ensures victims not only escape their plight, but have the emotional and economic strength to face the future with hope. With the launch of the Somaly Mam Foundation in 2007, Somaly has established a funding vehicle to support anti-trafficking organizations and to provide victims and survivors with a platform from which their voices can be heard around the world. Somaly estimates that she and her team have assisted over 7,000 victims to date." ("Somaly Mam." Home). Because of her bravery and courage, Somaly has been able to assist helpless girls escape the sex trade. Even after she saved them, she didn't stop, and continued to give them emotional support and other encouragement. Her dedication is shown through not just her words, but also her actions. Mam has selflessly continued her mission, not only leading one organization, but two. "Freed from the brothel, Mam dedicated her life to overcoming her traumatic experiences and building a better life... While in France, she met her future husband and co-founder of AFESIP, Perrie Legros, who was also involved in helping the victims of human trafficking. In 1996, they formed AFESIP. The organization fights sex slavery and human trafficking, as well as provides rehabilitation for former victims of trafficking. AFESIP provides legal counsel, psychological counsel and support, HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention information, and many other services for former victims of human trafficking." (Sexton, Jennifer). Although Somaly Mam went through a lot in her life, she has still made it her goal to help other girls who were in her position. She has created foundations for the girls still caught in the sex trade so that they don't have to suffer the way she did. She decided to take her distressing story and project it to the world to help other people. Sharing her experience has been very emotionally hard, but she still continues to nobly help others. The strength and bravery that Mam has shown in doing this makes her an inspiration to many. The two organizations she has founded ultimately show her dedication to her cause.

Somaly Mam should be categorized as a hero because of her bravery and perseverance in the face of danger. Cambodian brothel owners and pimps in the sex trade often threaten Mam and her family, hoping to get her to stop her actions. "Since her escape, Mam has made it her life's mission to educate the international community about the sex slave trade and to create a slavery-free world by rescuing enslaved women and children. Her work is often dangerous, yet Mam refuses to employ any sort of bodyguard or security personnel. She frequently pays solitary visits in person to the people who are the most dangerous--brothel owners to whom she represents a distinct threat. She believes that these acts of courage show that she has no fear of the brothel owners and their threats of revenge. One brothel owner placed a gun to Mam's head. Another time, her daughter was kidnapped, and later safely returned. Despite these threats and risks, Mam continues her work." (Sexton, Jennifer). Because of her courage, she has shown the world that she is not afraid. Her fearlessness proves that she is a strong and intelligent leader. Mam has proven her dedication multiple ways. Despite the frightening threats made against her, she continues her noble mission. "Somaly's success has come at a price. She and her family have faced terrifying death threats and violence. Asked why she continues to fight in the face of such fierce and frightening opposition, Somaly resolutely responds, 'I don't want to go without leaving a trace." Despite the fact that she is known the world over and has certainly earned a life of luxury and repose, Somaly continues to spend most of her time in the Cambodian recovery centers with the women and children she rescues, staying by their side as they walk the difficult path to recovery and freedom." ("Somaly Mam" Home). Somaly strives to bring more and more girls into freedom. All the attention she gets, she reflects it off onto a more important matter. Somaly has money, fame, and luxury, but she still focuses her energy on girls in Cambodia. This shows the true character of a hero.

Somaly Mam spends her life caring for others and helping them reach freedom. She has created two foundations, provided emotional support, and fearlessly stood up in the face of death threats. She angles all the attention she gets back to her main mission; helping girls out of the sex trade. While writing an article, Mam says, "My programs have assisted thousands of survivors, and have reached tens of thousands in the sex industry with educational messages on their rights and options. But I can never rest: I'm always thinking about the women who, despite our best efforts, are still in trouble. There is much work still to be done." (Mam, Somaly Lean In Story). Somaly has rescued many girls, but there are still millions and millions of girls left in this dark world of sex trafficking. Mam has been recognized as an inspiration for the selfless acts she has done to help others, her bravery and determination. The dedication, selflessness, and bravery that Somaly Mam has shown makes her a true hero.