Posts @ Love Global

Hi Friends!

We have posted a few new posts this month, check the out on our Love Global page (scroll down for the updates): http://www.loveglobal.com/project/project.aspx?asset=1057&referrerId=719.

In the meantime, here are some pictures from recent activities in our family!

With Cous-Auntie Sarah upon her arrival from India

With Aunties Geneviève & Maïa having fruit milkshakes after supper out in Phnom Penh

With Cous-Uncle Paul at Éléphant Blanc pool right outside Phnom Penh

Napping on the way home from one of many excursions

With all our visiting friends at local crab restaurant in Kep, enjoying the sunset and tasty tasty food!

{Work} Butterfly Project

Doing some theme and word mapping for
Butterfly research data analysis

We have started writing blog posts through our Canadian sending agency, Love Global Foundation. For more on what we're doing in Cambodia, previous posts, and to follow our Love Global blog and support our work, go to http://www.loveglobal.com/project/project.aspx?asset=1057.

Charlie has told you a little about his work with Chab Dai, and now that I am back at work, the little one is taken care of by a wonderful new nanny, and I am immersing myself in a new project, I will try to explain my role with Chab Dai over the next few posts.

After going back and forth about everything I will be doing with Chab Dai here in Cambodia, my job title was summed up as "Staff Capacity Development." This includes a whole lot of different tasks and projects, so for now I will explain what I will be involved with for the next couple months.

The Butterfly Project is a 10-year longitudinal research study on reintegration of survivors of human trafficking. The study "aims to better understand the experiences of survivors of abuse who have been reintegrated back into society after rehabilitation. Researchers will follow victims as they become survivors starting from the time they are in the aftercare program. The purpose will be to ‘hear’ from the survivors themselves, about their lives, understandings and experiences so their voices can contribute towards a greater understanding of the complexities of (re-)integration."

We are coming to the end of the 3rd year in the research so, as you can imagine, I am on a steep learning curve and trying to catch up on three years of findings! Every year, Chab Dai publishes an annual progress report on the findings from that year. My role in the Butterfly team is to help with data analysis for this year's findings, train and support the research team in writing a portion of the literature review, bring all the quantitative and qualitative data together into thematic sections and edit the final report. I am diving right in, as you can see!

I'm really excited about this project, as the lessons learned from the research are continuously being fed back to assistance programs, who can use it to better serve the survivors they are working with. It is also so great to actually see research and feedback in the voices of the survivors themselves; it is such a dignifying way to make their stories heard.

No looking back now...

Charlie and I recently sent out our first fundraising letter for Cambodia. We're leaving so soon, in less than 4 months!! Here is the letter:

With 4-month old Saméa in Winnipeg

In 2008-2009, my husband, Charlie, and I spent time in Cambodia, interning with an organisation called Chab Dai. Since our return, we have established Chab Dai Canada, working with others against human trafficking in Montreal and across Canada. Last May, I obtained my Masters degree in International Community Economic Development. On December 26, Saméa joined our family and has been a joy to get to know and watch grow. We are into a new phase in our lives and careers and are now planning to move back to Cambodia to join the Chab Dai team there. We plan on being in Cambodia for a minimum of three years.

When Charlie and I first went to Cambodia, we knew we would either find the issue too difficult to engage with and would move on to something else, or it would touch us so deeply that it would become our life's calling. Three years later, we cannot imagine doing anything else!

How Chab Dai Addresses Human Trafficking

Chab Dai's vision is based on an ethos of collaboration aiming to address human trafficking through coalition building, advocacy, and research. Chab Dai's main objectives are improving capacity, resourcing organisations, advocacy and prevention, and high quality aftercare.

How We Will Contribute to Chab Dai's Vision

I will be joining The Butterfly Longitudinal Research Project team, a 10-year research study which aims to better understand the experiences of survivors of abuse who have been reintegrated into society after rehabilitation. I will also be working with our coalition member organisations to find sustainable economic and financial reintegration solutions for survivors.

Charlie will be working mainly with the Learning Community project which oversees coalition activities. He will help coalition members develop programs and policies around short-, medium-, and long-term expat volunteers and staff, and will provide support, capacity building, and conflict resolution services for expat and national workers. He will also act as a liaison between volunteers and host organisations.

Partner with Us

For Charlie's full-time, and my part-time position, Chab Dai has approved a joint salary of $3,000 per month. Chab Dai will cover 50% of that salary; we are responsible to raise the other 50%. Would you consider becoming a monthly financial partner to cover part of this amount? We are looking for friends willing to give $25, $50, or $100 per month. We are also looking for one-time donations to help with travel and set-up costs. If you would like to partner with us or would like more information, please contact us.