Cambodia

The situation for children

Cambodia’s tumultuous history over the last three decades has left a legacy of social problems – including a large number of children living or working on the streets. There are over 10,000 children working on the streets and 1,000 children living on the streets in Phnom Penh. Poverty plays a huge role in children turning to a life on the streets, but other factors include family violence or losing one or both parents to AIDS.

In order to survive on a day to day basis, these children "work" in a variety of activities: prostitution, petty theft, begging, cleaning cars, scavenging, selling books, flowers and newspapers. They can’t go to school because the fees are too high and their families often rely on their income, however meagre.

These children are extremely vulnerable to exploitation and abuse and have little hope of breaking out of the poverty cycle.

Helping street children gain a trade

Save the Children, in partnership with a local organisation, Mith Samlanh ("Friends"), has been working with street children in Phnom Penh since 1994, providing services to over 1,000 children each year. These services include residential care, health care, non-formal schooling, drug and HIV/AIDS education and vocational skills training. Save the Children New Zealand is funding the skills training component.

On entering residential care, the children are asked to select training in either mechanics, cooking, electronics, carpentry, welding, hairdressing, beauty therapy, sewing, business or engineering. The courses are full time and take between 6-12 months. More than 250 students are trained at any one time. During their training they are supported with the things they need to study effectively: shelter, 3 meals a day, medical care, clothing and recreational and cultural activities.

After the course, graduates are given basic tools and materials to help them set up their own business. Some graduates manage a business within or near the Friends centre. For continued technical assistance from the Friends management team, they receive 60% of income earned. Graduates who have the life skills to run an independent business or take up employment become fully independent earners.

The centre recognises the important role played by students who have successfully participated in the centre’s programmes - these youths are consequently trained to become peer educators for other children seeking assistance from the centre.

Children's stories

"My name is Srey Thy and I am 9 years old. My parents are divorced. When they remarried they left and I stayed with my grandparents in Kompong Cham. One day a lady came and she asked me to help her buy things. She put me in a car. She took my shirt off and threw it in the river. The lady took me to Phnom Penh and tried to sell me. Friends’ staff found out about it and called the police. The police arrested the lady and I went to live with Friends. The police did not really believe me and released the lady. Meanwhile, my grandparents found my shirt in the river and thought I had drowned. They found the corpse of a dog and thought it was mine. They were very sad and organised a funeral for me. Friends’ staff went to look for my grandparents. They were very happy to know that I was alive and now live with them."

"My name is Visna, I am 9 years old. At the end of last year a typhoon hit the coast of Cambodia and both my parents were killed. I had no relatives I could go to. So I decided to go to Phnom Penh to make a living. I know it is easier to do so in a big town and Phnom Penh is the biggest city in Cambodia. So I lived as a beggar for seven months. But life was very difficult. So I met the Friends’ team in the street who took me to the centre. I am very happy now in my new home."