I’ve written periodically about this young woman, one of our trafficking survivors at our shelter in Lao Cai Province. She is a very smart and determined young woman. Her story is full of tragedy, though unfortunately not atypical. A member of an ethnic minority group near the Chinese border, at age 16 she was tricked by her friend and sold to a couple in China who bought her for their son. Soon after she gave birth to a daughter, they sold her to work as forced labor in a coat factory.
The opportunity to escape finally came when she was left alone, but she had to make the agonizing, split-second decision to leave her daughter behind, as the mother-in-law kept her at all times. Upon escaping, she also rescued the neighbor girl who was in a similar situation. Eventually, they were brought to our shelter, where they could live in a safe environment and receive education, art therapy, healthcare, life skills, and most importantly, love. I met her two weeks after she arrived, and was skeptical when she said her dream was to become a doctor. We were unsure of the quality of her education before she was trafficked, and she was already at least two years behind in school. Frankly, I underestimated her; last year she was the top science and math student in her class. We were so nervous when she took her university entrance exams, but I’m happy to report that she passed with flying colors!! Together with our donors and Lao Cai government partners, we provided the opportunities and support, but ultimately she did this herself. She’s currently in university studying pharmacology, making her way towards becoming a doctor! She is driven by her passion for medicine and a desire to help others, and I don’t doubt that she’ll continue to succeed.
Mimi Vu
