International Women's Day
This weekend is International Women’s Day: a significant date in our calendar where we celebrate women across the globe and the fight for equal rights. We look back on how far we have come, honouring the women in history who boldly advocated for their sisters and saw change take place in our world. And we look to the future: what still needs to be done for equality and how we can be a part of a movement of empowerment.
We are blessed to have a team of inspiring women working towards a unified goal of seeing vulnerable girls set free. Together, we’ve set our minds on the seemingly impossible vision of eradicating human trafficking but we know that we see change when we own our part and when we play that part significantly.
Let me introduce to you some incredible women on our team that I want to take a moment to celebrate.
MAK CHANNY & SREY ROTH
Our house manager, Mak Channy, and assistant house manager, Srey Roth, are vital people in our team. They have a true passion for restoring rescued girls and journeying with them.
Mak Channy has been the house manager for over 10 years; in this time she has been the one to oversee everything in the home and she has made time to genuinely know all the girls and the staff. She has been a mum to over 100 girls and is now a grandmother many times over. Srey Roth runs the home whenever Ma Channy is absent, including weekends. She embodies joy and is a true advocate for fun and laughter. From trampolines to Saturday activities, Srey Roth brings life and amusement to the home.
SOK MENG
Sok Meng is one of our incredible house mums and has worked for us for 7 years. She is known for her incredible cooking, but more than that, she is known for her big heart and her warmth. She is someone the girls gravitate to after a hard day, when they simply need to be around her beautiful soft spirit that carries an abundance of peace.
RATHA
Ratha is our longest serving House mother. She has been with us since the very first day our Home opened. She loves the girls like they are her own and has advocated for the very best for each and every one.
BONG CHANNY
Bong Channy is our Finance Manager in Cambodia. She has been with us for 5 years and does an incredible job. Her hard work is so vital to our organisation and we are beyond grateful for her loyalty and diligence. She has also built a strong community within the staff team, emphasising team building and fun outside of work. Channy is the queen of coffee and snacks - bringing them in for everyone in the office regularly!
RUOEN
Ruoen is mum of Leng*, currently studying law, and Chity*, soon to graduate year 12. She trains all our families in the HER Initiative by inviting them over to her house for training weekends. All of the HER Initiative products are first prototyped by her and she writes up all the instructions so that our families can keep developing their skills and create new and innovative products at a high standard.
SINATH
Sinath is our Case Manager. After working with us as a social worker for many years, we promoted her to oversee all our cases and essentially be making difficult decisions everyday in our girls’ best interest. Her wisdom is undeniable and it's a quality of hers that we cherish. We are now supporting her masters degree, which she is close to completing. She is an absolute star and an inspiring woman.
This is just a short list of some of the women that are incredible blessings to our team. They are all so unique and bring something special that allows us to do what we do.
We are passionate about how the survivors in the SHE Home are mentored and empowered and so we believe that it is significant and exciting that the girls can look up to these bold women. The legacy of Mak Channy, Srey Roth, Sok Meng, Ratha, Bong Channy, Ruen, Sinath and all the other women that work alongside them, will be carried out through this next generation of leaders.
So this week, in the lead up to International Woman's Day, let’s be inspired and encouraged by the women before us and the women around us and let’s be championing each other, united as women.
This profound poem by Rupi Kaur speaks beautifully to the legacy of women empowering women.
i stand
on the sacrifices
of a million women before me
thinking
what can i do
to make this mountain taller
so the women after me
can see further
- legacy