Srey Mao's journey details her traumatic experience of abuse at the hands of her stepfather and her subsequent path to recovery through the Cambodian Center for the Protection of Children's Rights (CCPCR). With counseling and support, she regained her confidence, participated in creative activities, and ultimately started her own sewing business. Srey Mao is now focused on her future aspirations of becoming a professional tailor and improving her family's situation.

1. Srey Mao’s Story
One client’s journey from childhood abuse to
confident young woman
A Cambodian Centre for the Protection of Children’s Rights
Case Study

2. When Srey
Mao was very
young, her
parents got
divorced. She
went to live
with her mother
and stepfather.
Her stepfather
was a gambling
alcoholic who
didn’t work.

3. One day when Srey Mao was 13, her stepfather took her to
the forest, saying they were going turtle hunting. Instead, he
raped her, and threatened to kill her and her mother if she
told anyone. Frightened, she agreed.

4. He raped her continually until one day, unable to
continue with this suffering, she told her mother
the truth. But her mother refused to believe
her, and Srey Mao felt even worse.

5. One day Srey Mao fell pregnant. Her stepfather was
forced to confess. Her mother was horrified, and sought
help from an uncle.

6. The uncle took Srey
Mao to the Cambodian
Women’s Crisis Centre.
After her time
there, she moved to
the Cambodian Center
for the Protection of
Children’s Rights.

7. When she first arrived at CCPCR, Srey Mao said
she felt that there was no purpose to her being
alive.

8. Yet after many
months of
counselling and
rehabilitation at
CCPCR, Srey
Mao began to feel
better.
She joined
activities at the
shelter, like
dance, art
therapy, and
group

9. She made
friends, and
with
encouragemen
t from
CCPCR, she
became more
and more
confident in
herself.

10. After completing vocational training in sewing, and
doing reconciliation with her father, Srey Mao
moved back to her community and started her own
sewing business!

11. “Now I know the importance of my life. It is incredible to me
that life can brighten and shine like the sun. Based on my
life plan for the next 5 years I must become a professional
tailor and improve the situation of my family. I am
determined to build up my life from dark to bright and
hopefully get successful in the next 5 years.”

12. Prepared for the Cambodian Center for the Protection of
Children’s Rights by Village Focus International
To learn more about CCPCR, please visit www.ccpcr.org.kh
To learn more about Village Focus International (VFI), please
visit www.villagefocus.org
To learn more about VFI’s support to CCPCR, please visit
www.bike4kids.org, home of the annual Angkor Wat Bike4Kids!
charity fundraiser benefitting CCPCR and others