Hagar was founded in 1994 in response to the prevalence of extreme domestic and community violence affecting women and children in post-civil war Cambodia. Hagar has expanded to work in other countries as well.
Hagar is a member of Family Care First.
Where they operate
Headquarters Location
SH1.09 Sacred Heart Building Abbotsford Convent 1 St Heliers St, Abbotsford
Melbourne VIC 3067
Australia
Organization Type
Main Areas of Work
What They Do
In Cambodia, Hagar works directly with people who have experienced human trafficking, slavery, and abuse to provide healing, justice, and freedom from fear. At the individual level, Hagar ensures these individuals have a safe place to live, and loving foster families to care for children in the community. Hagar provides them with trauma counselling, medical care and legal advice to help them understand their rights and seek justice. They have the opportunity to go to school, learn vocational skills or gain a university degree. Ultimately, they are supported to secure a job so they can live independently.
At the national level, Hagar works closely with the Royal Government of Cambodia to increase capacity within provincial and national ministries, as well as police to sustain this life-changing work in their country. They also developed a toolkit for legal professionals, which is now being used across the country to ensure that children who have survived abuse are not re-traumatised during the legal process. They are currently working in close collaboration with First Step Cambodia, to support the government in developing Cambodia’s first set of social work standards.