SREY MALIS - MY STORY
MY name is Srey Malis and I am 18. When I was very young my family was very poor and I didn’t have a good relationship with my parents.
I had to go out to find some work to provide for my family. When I was nine, I was doing very hard work concreting, lifting heavy things and washing clothes to get money.
Because the work was very hard on my body, I could not stand it and I had to find a new job. So I got a job at a restaurant. At that time my mother and father were very sick. I wanted to help them a lot, so I sent them money every month.
When I was working at the restaurant, I was a waitress and took food to the customers and played CDs for the customers for karaoke. There was a lot of alcohol.
My boss tried to abuse me, but I ran away. He told me to come back and then he tried to do this to me again, so I told his wife but she didn’t believe me.
The customers would go there to drink beer and sing karaoke and they always asked me to drink with them, and they would try to sleep with me.
Some customers would tell my boss that I did not agree to sleep with them, and he would say bad things to me. Customers promised me money and another life, but I knew if I did these things my family would not value me and people would look down on me.
My boss offered me $20 to sleep with him. I ran away. I felt so unhappy, like I’d done something wrong. I felt guilty and like my life was worthless, not valuable, and that people were always looking down on me. I wanted to kill myself, but I knew my family needed the money that I made. I stayed there for two years.
At the Outland Denim sewing room, I have a lot of people encouraging me. I’m happy to work here because people help each other; they understand me and listen to me.
It’s helped a lot in my family, now I can help them.
Before, they didn’t show that they loved me, and my father used to drink every day, but now he listens to me and sees something different in me and goes to work.
I now have confidence in myself. Before I came here I knew nothing, but now I know a lot more.
I am so much stronger and I am receiving a lot of love from the people I work with. I feel very loved. I want to thank you for buying my jeans, and for liking them and their quality.
It was not a happy life when I worked in the restaurant ... I’m happy working here and have joy working with other people.