SOUTHEAST ASIA - As 25 respectful students sit quietly on a mat spread beneath a spot of shade, reading, writing and arithmetic are all part of the daily curriculum.
But that's not all. These Southeast Asian youth are attending World Concern's “School on a Mat” and learning lessons that could save their lives.
Beyond the regular academics, at-risk kids learn important life skills — hygiene, children's rights, disease prevention — as well as how to avoid the dangers of trafficking.
Children and their families are often unaware of the risks involved with child trafficking. Some believe that better income and opportunity lie at the end of the trafficking trail.
Sadly, sex tourism in Southeast Asia targets children between 12 and 17 years of age, making poor, school-age children the most at-risk of any group.
If it's not the sex trade, vulnerable children may become modern-day slaves, working in deplorable conditions for ruthless bosses.
Our “School on a Mat” arms children with a way to fight back against these appalling crimes.
Boys and girls who have been rescued from trafficking find themselves in countries where they cannot prove their citizenship, so they are excluded from public school. Some villages simply don't have schools or a teacher.
“School on a Mat” provides free, non-formal teaching for children who otherwise would have no access to education. The teacher generally rides in on a motorcycle to teach in these remote areas.
Read how World Concern helped a boy named Hat escape a life of slavery on a fishing boat.
