Chab Dai

Chab Dai is an organization founded in Cambodia in 2005 to oppose human trafficking, sexual exploitation, and sexual abuse. Its name means “joining hands” in Khmer, reflecting the organization’s emphasis on collaboration among groups working against trafficking and exploitation. Chab Dai was established by Helen Sworn, who had previously worked in business administration, studied at a Bible college in the United Kingdom, and began actively opposing human trafficking in 1999. The organization initially developed as a network of Christian organizations, while its stated work has centered on practical cooperation and coordinated responses to trafficking-related harm. Rather than operating as a consumer-facing brand or commercial company, Chab Dai functions as a nonprofit and coordination platform. Its approach combines coalition building, community-based prevention, advocacy, and research. Coalition work is intended to connect organizations that provide protection, care, prevention, and other forms of support, while community prevention seeks to reduce vulnerability to trafficking and sexual exploitation. Advocacy and research give the organization a role in public discussion and policy-oriented work concerning trafficking, abuse, and exploitation. Although Cambodia is the organization’s country of origin and a central area of activity, Chab Dai has also maintained offices in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. This international presence supports its role as a cross-border network rather than a narrowly local service provider. The organization’s work is associated with the broader international movement against human trafficking and with efforts to improve cooperation among nongovernmental and faith-based organizations. Helen Sworn was publicly associated with Chab Dai from its founding and appeared in the 2011 documentary film Nefarious: Merchant of Souls, which examined human trafficking. She stepped down as executive director in 2023. In August 2023, Chab Dai joined other anti-trafficking organizations in issuing a statement criticizing factual inaccuracies in the film Sound of Freedom. That episode illustrates the organization’s willingness to engage in public communications when popular representations of trafficking may, in its view, misstate the realities of the issue. Chab Dai’s identity is therefore defined by its anti-trafficking mission, international network, and partnership-based operating model. Publicly available reference material does not establish a commercial product portfolio, revenue figures, ownership structure, or stock-market listing. Its principal offerings are better understood as nonprofit programs and network activities involving prevention, advocacy, research, and coordination among organizations addressing sexual abuse, trafficking, and exploitation.

Chab Dai was founded in Cambodia in 2005 by Helen Sworn. The organization emerged from Sworn’s earlier involvement in opposing human trafficking, which began in 1999 after a period of work in business administration and study at a Bible college in the United Kingdom. Chab Dai was established as a network of Christian organizations working against human trafficking and sexual exploitation. Its Khmer name, meaning “joining hands,” expresses the cooperative principle at the center of its model. From its foundation, Chab Dai’s role was primarily organizational and connective rather than commercial. It sought to bring together groups addressing trafficking, sexual abuse, and exploitation, encouraging coordination between organizations rather than treating trafficking as an issue that could be addressed by a single institution. Its stated methods included coalition building, community prevention, advocacy, and research. These activities positioned Chab Dai between a direct-service organization, an advocacy group, and a network platform for organizations working in the anti-trafficking field. The organization was founded in Cambodia but developed an international footprint, with additional offices in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. This expansion reflected the cross-border nature of trafficking and the organization’s effort to maintain links among groups operating in different countries. Cambodia remained central to its identity and work, while the overseas offices gave the organization a broader network presence. Chab Dai also gained public visibility through Helen Sworn’s participation in the 2011 documentary Nefarious: Merchant of Souls, a film about human trafficking. Sworn remained closely identified with the organization until 2023, when she stepped down as executive director. The leadership transition marked a change in the organization’s public leadership but did not alter the mission described in available reference material. In August 2023, Chab Dai joined other anti-trafficking organizations in a statement addressing factual inaccuracies in the film Sound of Freedom. The intervention reflected its advocacy role and its concern with how trafficking is represented in public culture and media. It also demonstrated that the organization’s work extends beyond internal coalition activity to public clarification of trafficking-related claims. Available reference material provides limited information about Chab Dai’s legal structure, budgets, program metrics, later leadership, and detailed chronology of individual projects. It does establish a consistent organizational identity: a Cambodia-founded nonprofit network seeking to oppose trafficking, sexual exploitation, and abuse through partnerships, prevention, advocacy, and research.

• 2023

  Executive leadership transition

  [1]Chab Daien.wikipedia.org

  Founder Helen Sworn stepped down as executive director.

• 2023

  Statement on Sound of Freedom

  [1]Chab Daien.wikipedia.org

  Chab Dai joined other anti-trafficking organizations in a statement about factual inaccuracies in the film Sound of Freedom.

• 2011

  Helen Sworn appears in Nefarious: Merchant of Souls

  [1]Chab Daien.wikipedia.org

  Sworn was interviewed for the human-trafficking documentary Nefarious: Merchant of Souls.

• 2005

  Chab Dai is founded in Cambodia

  [1]Chab Daien.wikipedia.org

  Helen Sworn founded Chab Dai as a network of Christian organizations working against human trafficking and sexual exploitation.

• 1999

  Helen Sworn begins opposing human trafficking

  [1]Chab Daien.wikipedia.org

  Before founding Chab Dai, Helen Sworn began actively opposing human trafficking.

A Cambodia-founded, internationally connected nonprofit network focused on ending human trafficking and sexual exploitation through collaboration, prevention, advocacy, and research.

• Network and coordination · 2005

  Coalition building

  Chab Dai’s central activity is connecting organizations that work against human trafficking, sexual abuse, and exploitation. The coalition model is intended to encourage cooperation, information exchange, and coordinated action among participating groups. Because Chab Dai is a nonprofit network rather than a commercial brand, this activity is a core organizational service rather than a packaged consumer product.

• Prevention program

  Community prevention

  Community prevention is one of Chab Dai’s stated approaches to reducing trafficking and sexual exploitation. The work focuses on addressing vulnerability and strengthening awareness and local responses. The available reference material does not specify individual curricula, locations, participant numbers, or program budgets.

• Advocacy and knowledge production

  Advocacy and research

  Chab Dai undertakes advocacy and research connected with trafficking, sexual abuse, and exploitation. These functions support public education, collaboration among organizations, and discussion of how trafficking should be understood and addressed. Its participation in the 2023 statement about Sound of Freedom is an example of public-facing advocacy.

• 2023

  Public response concerning Sound of FreedomOther

  Background

  The film Sound of Freedom generated public discussion about human trafficking. Chab Dai and other anti-trafficking organizations identified factual inaccuracies in the film.

  Action taken

  Chab Dai joined a statement addressing the film’s inaccuracies.

  Aftermath

  The statement placed Chab Dai among organizations publicly commenting on the accuracy of trafficking-related media representations.

  Source

• 2023

  Chab Dai joins statement criticizing factual inaccuracies in Sound of Freedom[1]Chab Daien.wikipedia.org

  Other

  In August 2023, Chab Dai joined other anti-trafficking organizations in a public statement concerning factual inaccuracies in the film Sound of Freedom.

• 2023

  Helen Sworn steps down as Chab Dai executive director[1]Chab Daien.wikipedia.org

  Leadership change

  Helen Sworn, who founded Chab Dai in 2005, stepped down from the executive director role in 2023.

1. 1Chab Daien.wikipedia.org
2. 2Chab Dai official websitechabdai.org