A Swiss charity with strong links to Perth’s business community is working to stop people trafficking and bring hope to Cambodian street women.
It also runs three business operations in Cambodia – the largest of which, Hagar Soya, is chaired by HBF chairman Harvey Collins – to help integrate these women and children into the community.
Hagar executive director Pierre Tami said the businesses were also designed to show that commercial activities could be conducted in Cambodia honestly.
However, that attempt has not proved easy as the story linked to the registration of one of the businesses for a tax certificate shows.
That tax certificate request was met with a demand for a bribe from the tax official dealing with them.
“Part of the long-term view of these businesses is to show they can be run successfully and honestly,” Mr Collins said.
“Yet you face corruption there even when you are trying to avoid it.”
Besides Hagar Soya, which operates a $US1.2 million beverage facility and markets soya milk in Cambodia, there is also Hagar Design, a company producing women’s accessories and home furnishings of hand woven silk and Hagar Catering, which runs a canteen service for businesses and hotels.
Hagar Catering also has a link to WA’s business sector. It is headed by Perth businessman Frank Woods.
Since 1994, Hagar has helped about 100,000 mothers, children and family members through its services and programs.
Mr Tami said nearly three decades of war, starting with the Vietnam war, and civil unrest had resulted in a break down of society.
He said that break down, more than the poverty, led to the problems of people trafficking.
“People don’t sell their children because they are poor. It is because the society has broken down around them,” Mr Tami said.
He said reintegrating people through the businesses helped with the charity’s other programs.
“Part of our program deals with lifeskills. Things such as how you raise a child. Clear principles on why you shouldn’t sell a child,” Mr Tami said.
He said the programs were starting to show some results.
“It is encouraging to see these women taken from the streets and given a new life,” Mr Tami said.
Both he and Mr Collins said the problems facing Cambodia should be of a concern to WA and Australia in general.
“Cambodia is only seven hours away. [Jemaah Islamiah senior official] Hambali used to live in Cambodia,” Mr Collins said.
He said he became involved with the program when he went to Cambodia four years ago to do a strategic plan for the Soya business.
“I was moved by what was happening to those people and stayed involved,” Mr Collins said.
