By Chayada Rungtao | Media and Communications Officer
In today's connected world, danger has new places to hide. A simple job ad on social media can be a trafficker's lure, turning a dream into a nightmare. Every young person deserves the right to grow up safe. But for too many, that right is stolen.
Grace is 16. A TikTok job ad promised her a first step toward independence. It seemed simple: reply to messages, earn good money. Her family was proud. But the promise was a lie.
The “agent” drove Grace and her friend across the border into Cambodia. Their phones were taken. They were locked away and forced into a criminal scam. When Grace refused, her captors threatened to sell her.
In the darkness, Grace held onto hope. She prayed to go home.
Her father never stopped fighting for her. He contacted LIFT, and we worked with Thailand’s Anti-Trafficking Police to find the girls. With help from the Thai Embassy, Grace was brought home.
Her story didn’t end there. Our legal team stood with her as she faced her trafficker in court. In January 2025, he was sentenced to 12 years in prison, with no parole. Justice was served.
Today, the fear Grace once felt is fading. She is healing. She dreams of joining the army, like her father once hoped to. She dreams of a small farm to call her own.
“This experience made me stronger,” Grace says. “Thank you for giving me the chance to build a new future—in my own way.”
Grace’s story is one of incredible strength. And because of you, it is not the only one. Her victory is part of a larger story of justice that you make possible.
Your support is woven into the lives of 905 children and teens now safe from trafficking.
It is behind the 465 offenders arrested, ensuring they can no longer harm others. It is the force behind 3,967 years in combined prison sentences—a clear message that this crime will not be tolerated. And it is the hope in $1.68M NZD in compensation, recovered from criminals and returned to survivors to help them rebuild.
These are not just numbers. They are futures reclaimed. They are families restored. They are dreams given back.
Your generous support is the start of their justice. It is the hope that rewrites their story. Thank you for standing with us in this vital fight.
* Name changed to protect the survivor.
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