David’s Journey
David’s story began in Uzbekistan, where he received an enticing job offer as a translator in Thailand with a promising salary. Excited for the opportunity, he travelled to Bangkok. However, upon his arrival at the airport, traffickers posing as job coordinators told him they needed to drive him to his workplace in northern Thailand. After an exhausting 18-hour drive, they arrived in Mae Sai, near the border with Myanmar. To David’s shock, he was then forced to cross the border into Myanmar.
Once in Myanmar, David was taken to a compound and informed that his job was not as a translator but as a scammer. He refused to participate in their illegal activities for three days. In response, the boss brutally beat him and hung him by his hands for four hours. After enduring this torture, David, in immense pain, reluctantly agreed to work for them. Despite his compliance, he was left hanging for another 18 hours without food.
Some time later, desperate, David managed to convince his boss to let him visit a dentist for a supposed toothache and seized the opportunity to flee. Jumping out of the car travelling at 60 mph, he leaped over a wall into a family’s backyard. Using Google Translate, he pleaded for their help, and they hid him and dressed him in local clothing until further support was able to reach him.
Anticipating assistance, David was then taken to the Police station however, sadly, his situation then took a further downturn. He was taken into immigration custody and charged with violating immigration laws, despite being a trafficking victim. Facing the threat of a three-year imprisonment, David’s anxiety soared. David was eventually sentenced and transferred to a formal prison. At this point David’s embassy engaged our partner organisation who we were able to provide him with food, medicine and support during his time in jail. He believed he would serve six months, but after three months, he was released as part of an amnesty for prisoners with short sentences. Our partner then moved him to their safe shelter, where he received ongoing trauma counselling and support while awaiting repatriation to Uzbekistan.
The ordeal had severely impacted David’s mental health, but with trauma-informed counselling, our partner helped him understand and manage his PTSD symptoms, which began to diminish rapidly.
David has since returned to Uzbekistan with significantly reduced PTSD symptoms. He has resumed his university studies in law and is determined to become an advocate for justice, raising awareness about scam compounds and human trafficking. His journey from trafficking victim to law student and advocate is a testament to his resilience and the power of support and faith.