Our first afternoon in Phnom Penh we spent visiting some areas notorious for trafficking of children.
It was sobering to drive through Pedophile Alley where old white men sit alone at night waiting for pimps to bring kids as young as 5 years old for a night of sexual abuse. This is real. The sickening reality at play every day of the year here, not just the stuff of imagined stories.
We were also incredibly inspired and grateful to connect with friends who work every day to reverse these horrific realities. It was a clear example to us of seeing light in darkness.
Our time at the waterfront was a mix of emotion, visuals, realities. Families were out to enjoy a beautiful day as boats passed by, to pay respect and say prayers at a small shrine and kids played happily in a swarm of humanity. This vibrant place of culture and community is also the location where young children are brought to predators by their handlers.
