Blog Entry #6

The next one hundred pages of my book were very different than the first 100. In the first 100, she is basically telling her story. She recounts memorable events in her life, and describes them very vividly. Around the 100 page mark, the protagonist and author Solmay meets Piere. Piere is a french man visiting Cambodia who rescues from the brothel. After she begins a relationship with him, she travels to Paris with him, where she earns a considerable amount of money working modest jobs like a hotel maid and waitress. They stay in Paris for a couple of years then return back to Cambodia with a sizable amount of money. From here, her career as an activist begins. Piere is a doctor, and Somlay becomes a nurse at his clinic. She first starts reaching out to oppressed girls in brothels by bringing them condoms and pamphlets on how to prevent STDs like AIDs. She then begins taking girls from the brothels who seem to be in dire condition and bringing them to the clinic for a couple of days to heal their various wounds and diseases, and give them hope that there is a way out of being a prostitute. Although for the most part she has no choice but to return the girls to their brothels, she begins to take a few into her own home. She realizes the need for a shelter and home for girls like this to escape to, and begins the Acting for Women in Distressing Situations foundation. She begins with very little money, and very little support. But, gradually, her foundation takes off. Her first course of action is staging raids on brothels and releasing all of the women there. This is a very difficult task but brothels are run and protected by many corrupt government officials, and policemen. After much toil, she finds a sympathetic policemen who helps her begin her raids. Herself, her husband, and a small band of police officers enter countless brothels and free the women there. But, she soon realizes they have no where to go and will probably end up being sold right back into prostitution. With various small donations, she is able to purchase a small piece of land that borders the Phem Phong. The construction of a relief center begins.

I am currently reading about the formation of her first relief center. All the work Solmay does is amazing. She is so incredibly brave. She is up against some of the most powerful, dangerous men in the country, but is not daunted nor concerned about her own health at all. She completely puts herself aside in attempt to help others. Even though she herself is not super rich, she gives all the money she possibly has to helping young girls she have never met before.