In the morning Mickey, Sandra and I woke up at 5 am for a lesson on photography as well as to photograph the brothel. The village was completely silent and we were able to get our pictures without any trouble. Around 10 we sat down with one of the family's in the village who had agreed last night to talk to us. We know the father is involved in illicit trading and that his brother in the house next door has sold his children.  During our discussion a young girl walks in. She looks to be about 15 or 16 years old. Mickey speaks in Thai to the man and then tell me that the man has informed him that she is his niece and that she works in the brothel and happy to provide for her family. 

Culture is a huge factor in trafficking. There is a sense of familial duty for young people, and often they do not question the choices of their elders, making trafficking accepted and systematic. For this reason, the girls do not always see themselves as victims. Rather, they are fulfilling a duty, even if they don’t always like what they do.

Next we visit a family whose daughter joined Mickey’s shelter last year and give them an update on her progress. The father admits that he has only had limited education and is happy that his daughter is being given the opportunity to make something of herself. Mickey informs him that she is excelling in mathematics and wants to set an example for the village. 


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