A WILLIAMSTOWN bed and breakfast owner is helping rescue young women and children from sex slavery in Cambodia by contributing to a new cookbook.
Melissa Meek-Jacobs, of the Captains Retreat, has contributed two recipes to Food for Hope, an initiative of the Connecting Hands charity.
Ms Meek-Jacobs reads aloud from the book: “While you are reading this, there are approximately 30,000 young women and children enslaved in the Cambodian sex industry.”
“You think about us sitting here in beautiful Williamstown, looking at the sunset and at the birds and you think about freedom and all that sort of stuff, but these are women who have been enslaved. And not just enslaved, but enslaved to perform sex: that’s just horrendous.”
Connecting Hands, in partnership with AFESIP Cambodia, now supports 230 young women and children.
Connecting Hands co-founder Kate Hutchinson says the money raised from book sales will go towards training women in Camboadia to be cooks, chefs and managers in hospitality.
“All proceeds from the cook book will go towards opening a Connecting Hands Teaching Cafe in Cambodia, which will benefit young Cambodian women and children who have been affected by human trafficking and slavery,” she said.
The book has recipes from Matt Preston and Maggie Beer. Ms Meek-Jacobs says, in view of that, it was a shock to be asked to contribute.
Food for Hope is for sale at the Captains Retreat, Book and Paper, and The Pepper Mill, all in Williamstown.
