May’s road to recovery – and the cow that helped her get there

How a home visit, a workshop and a cow saved one family from the dangers of human trafficking.

May

When May’s husband passed away last year, she didn’t know what to do. She already struggled to provide for her children, and now, with the family income halved, that task seemed impossible.

May’s debts began to pile up, and she was forced to sell the family cow – taking away their only stable source of income. Desperate to give her children the life they deserve, she began applying for whatever work she could find. 

Finally, May found a job that would earn her enough money to keep her kids in school. It would require her to travel far away from the safety of her community, but May felt like she had to take it if she was ever going to lift her family out of poverty.

May was on the verge of making the long journey to her new job when a man called Thuc visited her home. 

May lives deep in the mountains of northern Vietnam.

Thuc

“I am a leader in this village, and I feel a sense of responsibility to look out for the people here.”

When the chance came to join Blue Dragon’s Anti-Trafficking Board in his area, Thuc didn’t think twice. 

Like May, Thuc is of H’mong ethnicity. Fluent in both H’mong dialect and mainstream Vietnamese, Thuc facilitates dialogues between the villagers, unions and authorities. Thanks to the anti-trafficking training given to him by Blue Dragon, Thuc has a keen eye for spotting people at risk of exploitation and abuse – people like May.

When Thuc first heard of May’s situation from her neighbours, he knew he had to act quickly. He paid a personal visit to her home and encouraged her to start attending monthly anti-trafficking workshops.

Thuc (centre-left) and members of Blue Dragon discussing May’s support plan during a home visit.

Realisations

Thuc takes responsibility for running the village’s Anti-Trafficking Board’s monthly workshops, and he goes all out to make them fun, engaging and informative.

“I try to convey the messages through games and playing. I want people to understand that humans are not objects that can be bought and sold.”

After speaking with Thuc and attending one of his workshops, May understood that she was at high risk of being trafficked, and that the job offer she received sounded very similar to those that traffickers use to lure people into slavery. 

May declined the job, and instead worked with Thuc to find out what kind of assistance would be most beneficial to her situation. Together, they decided that she and her family would benefit from a new cow to replace the one they had to sell.   

Back on track

With support from our friends German Embassy Hanoi, Blue Dragon provided May with a cow. Her family’s financial situation has improved significantly, she can now earn a reliable income while taking care of her children at home.

With Blue Dragon’s sustainable livestock training, May can keep her cow healthy and strong – providing her family with a source of income well into the future. What’s more, Blue Dragon is continuing to provide her and family with nutritious food as they get their lives back on track.

Blue Dragon continues to provide May and her family with food and supplies.

Thuc is concerned that people are still reaching out to May with job offers in distant locations, so he continues to pay her regular visits. With Thuc and the whole Blue Dragon community supporting her, she can finally provide the happy, peaceful life that she dreams of for her children.

“My greatest hope now is to stay healthy and for my children to remain well. Above all, I hope my children and I can live safely and peacefully.”

With Blue Dragon paying her regular home visits, May can rest assured that she and her family have all the support they need to live peaceful, hopeful lives.