Yok didn’t know she was in danger. She didn’t even know she was a victim of a scam. Not until she joined The Freedom Story’s trafficking prevention training.
Yok was 15, and thought helping a neighbor open a bank account was harmless. To her, it was a way to earn a little pocket money and help someone she trusted. But they used her personal information to create multiple fake accounts and scam people out of more than 100,000 Baht ($3,000 USD).
Yok and her family are now responsible for repaying this debt. Without help, a debt this size could cause Yok to drop out of school, increasing her risk of being trafficked.
Near the Thailand-Myanmar border, scams are a growing threat that can lead to trafficking. Gangs that operate scam centers target local teenagers to open fake accounts, engage in online gambling, or even to work in centers where they are held against their will.
At the time, Yok was living at Baan Nana, a children’s shelter and one of The Freedom Story’s Prevention Partners.
When The Freedom Story partnered with Baan Nana, Yok’s teachers chose her as one of the first scholarship students in her community. She received mentorship, trafficking prevention training, and guidance to navigate her future safely.
This helped her strengthen her relationships at home and at school, and finish Grade 9 — achievements she once thought were impossible.
“After attending the training regularly and talking to The Freedom Story seniors, my thinking changed, and I became more reasonable and more mature,” says Yok. “Mostly, I share lessons with my close friends at school, though they don’t really listen. They’re shy about joining activities and think what I say is silly. But I tell them anyway because if one day they experience something like me, they’ll remember what I said.”
Today, she serves as a mentor and advisor to other children living at the shelter. Yok is one of 80 kids living at the shelter who now have access to opportunity, safety, and freedom. Now, her school is a safe zone where children learn to protect one another from exploitation.
“The older children, trained in The Freedom Story’s curriculum, are now leaders who run activities and pass on the knowledge to other children. They’re the ones keeping the younger ones safe from trafficking,” says Kru Ngao, the director of the shelter.
Watch the video below to see how the power of prevention is transforming this community.
Want to help stop child exploitation before it starts? Join The Freedom Chapter to provide the consistent care that keeps kids safe and trains them to protect others.
