Dark waves lapped at the sand near where 16-year-old Lamai* stood on the tourist beach at night. She had her instructions from the woman who was trafficking her: she had to flag down tourists, men who were searching for a bargain outside of the brothels hidden in bars. Lamai knew that success meant being abused. But it also meant avoiding her trafficker’s rage and being granted a small portion of the money the men were paying to use her body.
Most tourists saw Lamai as just another girl, just another opportunity for a good time. Her trafficker had ensured that her exploitation was water-tight: a false ID claimed she was 19, and the men who bought her were led to believe she kept the money they paid.
But The Exodus Road’s team saw something different. They saw a teenage girl who was suffering.
Because the trafficker was so clever in setting up the chain of funds, and because Lamai was operating in a dark corner away from the main drag of the red light district, building a case took time. Our team was willing to take as long as necessary. A couple of months after they first saw Lamai on that dark beach, they worked alongside law enforcement to raid the beach where the teenager was being sold. They successfully recovered the traumatized girl and arrested her trafficker.
A couple of months after they first saw Lamai on that dark beach, The Exodus Road worked alongside law enforcement to raid the beach where the teenager was being sold. (AI image representative.)
The Exodus Road’s social workers are experts in trauma-informed care, and they were there to help Lamai through the shock of law enforcement’s arrival. They are continuing to care for her, ensuring that she gets the care she has always deserved — including therapy and housing.
When you support The Exodus Road, you are helping ensure that we can find and free more girls like Lamai. Thank you!
