The problem

ELF was founded 10 years ago to counteract the problem of girls being trafficked from Phayao Province in Northern Thailand to become sex workers in and around Bangkok. "Trafficked" is a convenient political buzzword that, in this instance, to the girls of Phayao, really means being forced or coerced into leaving home and being exploited for the purposes of commercial sex. The idea for ELF began when Michael, the founder, was visiting Phayao and saw a van of girls leave for Bangkok for "work." Suspicious of the intent, he frantically followed the van the whole way from Phayao to Bangkok (9 hours), calling policemen and politicians. When they arrived in Bangkok, to Michael's dismay, all of the girls stayed with the woman they called their auntie because they had been told to obey her and she would take care of them. Michael knew that these girls were headed for a life they could not imagine, one that would lead to violence, disease and possibly death.

Girls or parents may be tricked into thinking the work they're going to will be house or factory work. Other times the parents know full well the life they are selling their daughter into. Parents or guardians who sell their daughters receive money upfront and can also earn a monthly income, which has proven to be an enticing prospect for poor families with little education. Girls are seen as commodities. Whatever the situation is, we at ELF believe girls should never be sold. Michael founded ELF to keep girls in school and protect them from trafficking because he believes, he knows, that these girls can be so much more, and are worth so much more than the price traffickers are willing to pay.

The SOLD Project has put together a beautiful movie explaining the problem in Thailand best. Here's the trailer: