Sak Saum at last!

Ok, I promised, so now I aim to deliver. I hope this post does Sak Saum justice.

Thanks for waiting on this one.

Well, lets start with the basics. Sak Saum means 'dignity' in Khmai. This word was chosen carefully, as it's truly meant to fit the heart of what this ministry does. You see, Sak Saum exists to help women who have been abused, exploited, or even trafficked. Their goal is to see these women, and their dignity and value, restored.

Everyone is incredibly friendly here. I didn't even get laughed at!

How does that work? Well, remember the spinning wheel I showed you in the last post? Right. I told you I saw freedom there.

Well, that's the quick version. The full version is that Sak Saum rescues women who are at-risk, or who have already been the victims of abuse and brings them in. They teach the girls how to take care of themselves. They show them love, and God's word, and what it means to be a valued and precious person.

In short, they take the ashes that remain, and replace them with something beautiful.

Those bags, along with many others, are for sale. They are also extremely stylish.

The girls learn job skills as well, including handicrafts. This is where the business side of the ministry kicks in. The girls make handbags, scarves, and other high-grade products, and sell them. Primarily, they are sold in the States, and the money is immediately funneled back to the ministry and used for housing, food, supplies, and the other things the girls need. In other words, they use 100% of the profits to keep helping more women. No, I have the right percentage.

I've got a lovely bunch of coconut... buttons!

Remember, I was raised American. I know capitalism just as intimately as you (unless you were an economics major, in which case I will only pretend to know as much as you). I've seen the same commercials for 'save this' or 'save that' where they pledged to help people... and then the news reports that they use all of 6% of the profits to put money back into the people. This place is very different, and having gone to visit and even do some work there, I can tell you first hand just how dedicated to the girls this ministry truly is.

I can also tell you that the girls, to a tee, are all grateful, and show it in their smiles, laughter, and genuine joy. It's like they are one big family.

Ok, maayyyybe they laughed a little, but it's only because they care!

In the future, as I spend more time with them, I will tell you their names, and their stories, perhaps.

What I can tell you, is that they have all suffered in one way or another, and many are still at risk to be sucked back into a bad situation.

How bad? Ok, this one I know I've got an answer for!





You guys remember Theavy? Sokun's mom from the last post? She's the National Director here. She's a responsible, careful adult, and one of the leaders - not just someone recently rescued. As it happens, she was also kidnapped not that long ago.

Yes, I said kidnapped. Someone drugged her and tried to hijack her to Vietnam to sell her in the slave trade. That was... scary... even for me, and my heart went out to her. This was about 2 weeks before I arrived, and I hadn't even met her yet. All I knew was stories about her and the work she did with Ginny.

Do me a favor. Her full story is posted here. Go look for yourself, and see just what a miracle it was to get her back. (For those whose links don't work, you can cut and paste http://www.saksaum.com/blog/2012/4/10/the-realities-of-trafficking-an-incredible-story-of-capture.html)

L.O.O.M. - that spells freedom.

 So, what do you think? Nice yeah? I tell you, it's not easy. I see Ginny working very hard to keep things running smoothly. My wife is assisting her now, and I sometimes get to pitch in where I can. Sak Saum is a part of In His Steps International, and is only one of the ministries Eric and Ginny oversee (they both work extremely hard, if you want to be accurate about it). You've already seen Father's House. We'll get to the others eventually.

People Magazine article.

How successful is this part of the ministry? Well, the bags and such are now featured in runway shows in NYC, people magazine, and I think even one of the award shows' red carpet proceedings, but I don't remember which one right now.

More importantly, a lot of lives have been saved or vastly improved.

Well, there you have it! I hope I got the message across on this one. We'll get back to more of the typical posts soon. Who knows - I hear Aidan is itching to take over again.