Most people were not willing to get close to me.” Thuy bitterly shared, “I become notorious because people in my community spread rumors behind me. Life in her hometown became even more challenging. Thuy was rescued thanks to a joint effort of public security forces and returned to Viet Nam in December 2019. She revealed, “In China, I was kept in a house and forced to sell sex.” Thuy was trafficked to China for six months. After her neighbor agreed to take care of her children, she followed those people to China, wishing for better incomes. “The people promised me to get a well-paid job in China,” said Thuy. In early 2019, Thuy encountered an offer. Taking care of her children, she cannot spare much time working and earning money. The clients at sex work pay her 150,000 VND each time, but Thuy needs to pay for the room and condoms. She works as a sex worker and part-time housemaid. She is now a single mother of a three-year-old and a six-year-old. Due to the financial difficulties of her family, Thuy dropped out of her junior high school to work. Thuy (not her real name) faces a similar situation in the other province in the Mekong Delta. Up till now, An is still struggling to earn a sufficient income to support her family. They allow An to pay back the fees when her financial condition improves. Her meager earnings can hardly support their living expenses and her son’s school fee.įortunately, her son’s school principal and their landlord were aware of their hardship. Yet, the house rent and utilities still cost her 1.2 million VND monthly. She begged her clients to pay an extra 50,000 VND on the 100,000 VND fee each time. During the social distancing policy, only three regular clients. COVID-19 has hit the poorest and the most vulnerable the hardest. So, she kept the traumatizing experience to herself only.Īn is the breadwinner supporting the livelihood of her mother and a 5-year-old son. “I cannot report to the police because sex work is illegal.” Spending all her time making a living, she did not have any information where she could turn to for getting support. He beat me up.” memorized by An (not her real name), a street-based sex worker in Viet Nam. “Once, a client kept me in a room for 2 hours forcefully. Sex workers are exposed to gender-based violence easily as a consequence of social stigma and illegal status of sex work.