Busaba's Story
We partner with The Freedom Story to provide mentoring and education to students at high risk for trafficking in Northern Thailand. Students learn about human trafficking and how to safeguard themselves against it. Your advocacy & donations during Dressember not only help to provide rescue and aftercare, but also to prevent trafficking from happening in the first place. Learn more about our partnerships here.
When Busaba* joined The Freedom Story, she had already lost both her parents and her grandmother. She lived with an aunt who struggled with alcohol abuse, and Busaba dropped out of middle school. She admits, “I was badly behaved, I did things that made my life difficult, and I lacked vision or direction.”
Knowing her situation, The Freedom Story staff approached Busaba and started building a relationship with her. “It helped me realize I wanted to go back to school,” she explains.
Busaba took on a job at The Freedom Story, supporting the scholarship team with home visits and data entry. The job turned into more than work experience.
“When I arrived, I wasn’t comfortable showing my emotions, talking about my background, or the bad things I had done. After I started work, I was able to tell my story to the staff, and they listened.”
Over time, she was even able to advise other students, “kids who were at risk of … [doing] things that I had done or gone through. I thought about the experiences I had, and how my experiences might help them.”
The staff’s effort, combined with the desire to make her grandfather proud, inspired her to apply for a scholarship for informal school.
“I thought if I can improve myself, if I can be dedicated to my education, it would be good….It was a chance, a good chance, for those who don’t have money. Because if I had had money, I would have wanted to study. I didn’t want to go back to the bad things again.”
Busaba completed an accelerated vocational program. Then she made the bold choice to re-enter the formal school system for high school, despite having dropped out for almost 5 years, and being older than all her classmates. Busaba showed incredible determination.
“It was really hard. I didn’t have any of the knowledge that my classmates did. But I tried really hard. I told myself that, at the least, I had to be responsible. I had to submit my work on time, I had to go take my tests. Whether I could pass them or not, I had to go. If I couldn’t study one subject, I’d find another. I used this strategy until I went to University.”
After graduating from high school, Busaba was accepted into a University program in Industrial Psychology. She again faced the challenge of being older and lacking the same level of preparation. However, her determination was unwavering.
“In my first year, I felt like I couldn’t do it. But when my grades came out and my GPA was over 3.0, I knew that I could do that well every year. I am so proud of myself going to university. These things I am doing help my life and future get better.”
Then Busaba faced another loss—her Grandfather, her last caregiver. She speaks with emotion, wishing he could have seen her graduate. While he was unwell, her Freedom Story mentor supported her, taking her to visit him at the hospital and being an emotional comfort.
“She would always tell me, ‘Do not think that you are by yourself. Do not think that there is no one who can help you. You have to think, ‘I have The Freedom Story still.’ Everyone, all the staff, are looking after you and care about you. Everyone here is your family.’”
Busaba is proud of the changes she has brought about her in life—from dropping out of middle school, to becoming a dedicated and motivated university student. With the Freedom Story’s support, it became possible.
*Busaba is a pseudonym to protect the identity of the survivor