Their childhood was spent slaving for others, and being beaten starved and abused, but two Cambodian women have escaped the hell of human trafficking and can look to a brighter future.
Chenda Sam, 23, sobs as she finds the words in Khmer to tell Australia's Ambassador for Women and Girls, Natasha Stott Despoja, her harrowing life story, through a translator.
Born into extreme poverty, her mother sold her to a Chinese family when she was four years old.
She knew no childhood joy, just a Cinderella-like existence doing housework for the family. This was her life for 12 years.
Sam was often beaten and starved, and tried many times to escape.
Heang Sok, 21, also hesitates briefly before finding her voice.
She speaks of a violent father who would beat her and try to rape her.
Her mother helped her flee to Thailand, but then they were separated and she was taken in by an initially friendly Thai family.
But the situation soon turned ugly.
They held her hostage, frequently bashed her and threatened to kill her if she continued to try to escape.
Eventually, she was able to flee and go to the police with her story.
But instead of being treated like a victim and offered assistance, she was held in Thai custody for five months.
Both girls are now on a path to recovery and are being rehabilitated by Hagar International.
Sok wants to become a tailor and sew pretty dresses while Sam is a manager at an organisation helping women and will soon travel overseas for leadership training.
"Life is better, I have hope now," Sam said.
The Australian government has given Hagar $250,000 over three years to support their work with human trafficking and sexual abuse survivors.
The organisation has about 500 victims on its books in Cambodia and also has operations in Vietnam and Afghanistan.
It provides counselling, employment training, catch-up school, emergency accommodation, foster care, legal assistance and job placement.
It operates in 21 out of 25 Cambodian provinces.
Hagar spokesman Mike Nowlin says the youngest victim they're helping is a little girl only two weeks old, who will have to undergo reconstructive surgery in years to come.
The oldest is 45 years old, but the majority of their work is with females aged 12 and into their 20s.
The average time survivors spend receiving support from Hagar is five years.
Hundreds of survivors have trained in hospitality and work for Hagar's catering branch, which provides 12,500 meals a day for garment factory workers.
A visibly moved Ms Stott Despoja commended Sok and Sam on their bravery.
"It's so moving to see how Australia is helping to change lives and save lives," she said.
On Friday, the former Australian Democrats leader wraps up her week-long visit to Cambodia and Myanmar.
* Names have been changed to protect the women's identities.
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