W
hen I founded Center for
Girls twenty years ago,
my aim was simple: to
provide opportunities for
the young girls in my village to recognize
their own value. I never received a formal
education and was not given any knowl-
edge of life skills. I had to work incredibly
hard to get where I am today. After I
obtained my Master’s in Strategy and
Development, my goal was to create a
safe space for young girls in my commu-
nity where they could speak freely, learn,
and realize their potential and worth. I
founded Center for Girls in Phan to give
teenage girls a place where they could
share their problems and come together
to find solutions.
Before,
many girls
from my village
suffered sexual
abuse in silence -
at the Center, they were able to break
their silence and receive the counseling
and support they needed. We began
working in schools to educate young girls
about the sex trade and human traffick-
ing, and slowly expanded our reach by
implementing community projects, offer-
ing different skills courses for villagers,
and seeking scholarships for students in
need.
My original goal was to reduce the stigma
surrounding sexual abuse and trauma
in my community. When I was younger,
my brother’s friend tried to rape me at
gunpoint, and when I tried to tell people,
no one believed me. This is why I decided
to work with girls - I wanted them to
have someone they could report cases to
who would believe them. I wanted to let
victims of sexual abuse know that they
were not alone, encourage girls to speak
out about their experiences, and educate
people about the dangers of human
trafficking and abuse. Our young women
deserve a better life than a life lived in
ignorance and oppression.
Twenty years later, Center for Girls’
impact has increased considerably and
we have been fortunate enough to part-
ner with some incredible international
organizations. Though we are small, we
are very strong. In 2016 alone, Center for
Girls carried out four different programs
in addition to multiple trainings and
workshops, all aimed at reducing (and
eventually eradicating) gender-based
violence, human trafficking, and child
abuse in Chiang Rai Province. I am very
grateful for the assistance and encour-
agement of our donors, partners, and
friends this past year. Our work at Center
for Girls is only made possible through
your generosity and support.
I still strongly believe that women and
children have untapped potential. The
power and knowledge they possess is too
often suppressed and dismissed. Howev-
er, when they are given the support and
skills necessary to empower themselves,
their successes can change not only their
world, but our world as well.
Nunnaree Luangmoi
Founder and Director, Center for Girls
Nunnaree providing safe migration information in the Jampong Market