Before landing my role on Pretty Little Liars, I had a modeling contract in Thailand and Hong Kong. While there, I saw local girls with guys who were way older and I knew something just wasn’t right. Then I learned that nearley two million people under 18 across the globe like them are being forced into prostitution. Disgusted, I contacted the Somaly Mam Foundation (SMF), a nonprofit cofounded by a survivor of sex slavery in Cambodia. It rescues girls and helps them deal with issues like pregnancy and injuries caused by abuse, and teaches them how to earn a living. I flew to Cambodia for one week last February to meet survivors in SMF shelters and schools who were learning how to speak English, sew, and cut hair. I brought them books and asked what else they needed. They said, “Don’t judge us. Just give us love. sister.” One girl wouldn’t let go of my hand for hours. When they hugged me, it was the purest love I’ve ever felt. I want to help SMF open more shelters and schools in the Philippines, since I’m half Filipina, and sex trafficking is a problem there, too.”
(Source: emfields)
