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| This is a painting done by an employee of DOC |
Daughters of Cambodia (DOC) was created by a British psychologist in 2007. She was studying the effects of the sex-industry on young women in Cambodia at the time and wanted to offer an alternative employment option that women could choose instead of working on the street, thus Daughters of Cambodia was born. Nine years later, DOC runs a cafe and a hotel, along with many production businesses. These businesses offer employment to those who have been working in the sex trade as alternatives. Though it was clear in speaking to some of the women working at the cafe that they will never make as much money at these businesses as they did on the street, DOC offers an option for those who choose to leave the sex trade.
DOC also has expanded to working with male sex workers in a partner program called Sons of Cambodia. They offer many amenities including medical care, counseling and day care to all their employees and made it clear that taking part in any of their programs is voluntary. They are not a shelter and do not require their participants to live outside of their community in order to take advantage of what DOC can offer. They provide education opportunities and creative classes. The photo here is one that an employee painted herself. I have chosen not to picture an employee on this post due to the sensitive nature of this work and to respect their privacy. DOC is also a faith-based organization and offers religious classes based on Christianity to their employees. It was unclear if the people working at DOC’s establishments are required to attend these classes. It was also not obvious if the resources and classes are run and managed by Cambodians or foreigners.
DOC works directly with the Cambodian community and is offering an alternative lifestyle to those who do not want to take part in the sex trade any longer. This is particularly important for children who are trafficked or pressured to work on the streets in order to help support their families. DOC cannot provide the same financial compensation that women or men may find as sex workers, but this may not matter to those who are abused and/or mistreated in this line of work. Though DOC’s mission to spread Christianity may not be culturally comparable to this area of Asia, it is important that these people are being given other options for employment.
