SSF's Child Protection Program aims to alleviate child poverty in Cambodia's poorest communities, This is achieved through a comprehensive and integrated one-to-one child sponsorship program that takes care of each child's needs in terms of health, education and social welfare. Currently, SSF supports 50 children, half of which are fully sponsored. Health: The majority of supported children have had little in the way of medical care before their involvement with the Sao Sary Foundation. Health assessments are conducted immediately when the child has been selected for aid. Additionally their progress is traced through monthly follow up appointments while full medical checkups are conducted every six months, with the goal of improving and maintaining the overall physical and mental health of all sponsored children during their participation in SSF’s Child Protection Program. Education: In order to ensure access to basic education for all program participants, every child is enrolled in public school. This includes providing bicycles if necessary, all required school materials, pocket money, and daily meals. Moreover, SSF offers informal English and computer literacy classes in order to prepare each child with the skills that are required for success in the workplace and in institutions of higher learning. Social welfare: The organization places importance on supplemental training that seeks to build social skills that many children do not develop at home. Examples include health awareness, social morality, human rights, legal rights, goal setting, craft skills, vocational training (sewing, haircutting, small business management, etc), and agricultural skills (vegetable gardening, poultry raising, composting, etc). Shelter: Although the SSF compound provides shelter to children with no other options, its primary focus is to serve as a support within the community to reinforce the organization’s mission and goals. Additionally SSF has pursued partnerships with local Buddhist temples (for boys) and run own compound (for girls) as an alternative to living at home in special circumstances. Income Generation – Because emergency aid only offers a temporary solution to a long-term problem, SSF encourages supported children to take responsibility for their own future in order to ensure that they will not always need to be dependent upon aid to survive. Following emergency measures that include helping families to settle their outstanding debts that prevent them from doing anything other than pay interest and purchase food for their families, SSF has sought teach children the skills they need to earn money through participation in projects such as the banana cake selling operation located at the front of the SSF compound.
while preventing all forms of violence, exploitation and abuse against children, especially commercial sexual exploitation, trafficking, child labor and child marriage.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Child Protection Program Overview
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Wells of opportunity
Author: Sao Sary Foundation
Water is a crucial commodity to life. Despite this, access to clean water is something that many Cambodians in rural areas are denied. In a sub-village of Prey Rongeang, thirty families, who live in severe poverty, were deprived of this basic human essential. The lack of water in this sub-village, called Kraing Hong, not only caused health problems, but financial problems. They were forced into buying in water at an inflated rate, costing them around $0.5 - $1 every day. This meant that the people of this village spent almost all of their small income just on obtaining water, and the rest of their income on other essentials, such as food. Having to spend all of their money simply on surviving meant that this village had no opportunity to lift themselves out of extreme poverty. They were unable to save any money to enable their children to go to school, let alone money to invest in small businesses, or anything that could provide them with a higher income.
Spending all of their money on surviving and stuck in a vicious cycle of poverty meant that many of the villagers became vulnerable to moneylenders. Moneylenders charge a ridiculous interest rate of 10% a day. According to villagers, when they borrow $10 the charge is $1 a day, meaning that in ten days the amount they have to pay back doubles to $20. This obscene amount of interest means that, once a family borrows money, it is very unlikely that they will be able to escape their debt and, instead, find it spiraling out of control. This spiraling debt is often how people fall victim to outside human traffickers, leading to abuse, exploitation, commercial sexual exploitation, child labor and child marriage.
This village suffers severely from outside human traffickers, who come presenting themselves as respected businessmen and promising a better life. With the assurance of work and a way to support their families, many people are quickly swayed into leaving their homes, but the reality when they arrive at their destination becomes quickly apparent. Several boys from the village were taken to work in cities in Cambodia and different parts of Thailand. Many describe the work as slave labor, involving abuse and little or no money. Two boys trafficked to Thailand to work on fisher boats, who managed to escape back to Cambodia, said that they were in constant fear of their lives. Similarly, girls who find themselves persuaded into moving to Phnom Penh, or other major cities, believing that they are going to work as cooks or cleaners, invariably end up sold to brothels. This was the fate of two such girls from this village, who ended up, not only sold to brothels, but thereafter contracting HIV and dying.
Sadly, this village is particularly vulnerable to outside traffickers because it lacks support from the local authorities. Unfortunately, the local village authorities in Prey Rongeang believe that this sub-village supports the political opposition of the ruling Party. The local authorities are, therefore, completely unwilling to give any assistance to the people of Kraing Hong, even when they ask for it. It is obvious then why rich, sharp-looking business men, who offer assistance and the chance at a better life, can easily manipulate these people into being trafficked.
In the 2009 fiscal year, in collaboration with Groundwork Opportunities, SSF found the funding to install a well in Kraing Hong. Well construction began in April 2009, providing the entire village with access to clean water. The well took two weeks to build, with much help from the villagers themselves, who also built a fence around the well as protection from cattle. Amongst these people, five residents were selected to learn the skills required to maintain and preserve the well, so that any problems that arise with it can be dealt with directly by the villagers. It is important that the villagers know how to keep the well in good condition, so that they do not have to waste money in the future on its maintenance, and can sustain the well themselves. By providing the village with a well, it has alleviated a severe financial burden that affected every family. It’s construction has meant that the villagers no longer have to spend their entire income simply on surviving. Through SSF support and guidance, this will even lead to opportunities to save money, which can then be invested in small business ventures to generate a regular income for the villagers.
Along with the well, SSF hope to be able to install home gardens so that the villagers do not have to be reliant on outside sources of income to feed themselves, with the added potential that these gardens could lead to a small source of income. Education will be provided alongside these home gardens about the importance of looking after the natural resources that these villagers have at their disposal, with particular emphasis on the importance of using non-chemical fertilizers. Moreover, SSF plans to organize regular meetings to create Self-Help groups to monitor the well and the village’s progress. This will provide ground to connect the people with their local authority and encourage the villagers into a greater sense of community, turning to each other when they have problems, financial or otherwise, to minimize the use of moneylenders. SSF hopes, through this support, the people of this village will begin to understand and seize the opportunities that they have to work themselves out of poverty. SSF not only hopes to inspire them to save, but also appreciate the resources around them to produce an income. Moreover, it is vital that the people of this village are educated about the dangers and legalities of human trafficking and child labor, so that it ceases to be a solution to their problems. SSF concentrates on solving problems at their root cause. The installment of the well, along with SSF support for the next three years, providing that SSF continues to get the financial backing that it requires, will hopefully alleviate the vulnerability of this village to debt and, therefore, their vulnerability to human trafficking, commercial sexual exploitation, child labor and child marriage.
About the Author:
Nonprofit organization works to help absolute poor families to care for their children, avoiding them from all forms of violence, exploitation, abuse against, including child sexual commercial, trafficking, child labor and child marriage.
Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Wells of opportunity
Monday, March 16, 2009
SSF was highlighted by the Global Playground
Emphasis on Education Key to Alleviating Child Trafficking in Cambodia
Wednesday, March 11, 2009 | posted by Doug Smith | 0 Comments
Last January, Global Playground had the opportunity to visit the Sao Sary Foundation
("SSF"), located an hour's drive outside of Cambodia's capitol city of Phnom Penh. SSF was founded in 2006 to "help improve the living standard of the poorest of the poor and vulnerable families . . . and to develop support for the education of orphans and other vulnerable children." The ultimate goal of SSF is to ensure that vulnerable children are kept safe from all forms of violence, exploitation, and abuse, especially child trafficking. This was also the lifelong goal of the foundation's namesake, Sao Sary, deputy chief of Takeo province in Kus commune, who was gunned down after intervening in a robbery.
SSF runs a house where students live so they can attend school, develop skills, and generally be in a safer environment than they might otherwise be in their own homes. Children at SSF are considered those particularly susceptible to being trafficked, such as those who have been trafficked before, who live well below the poverty line, or who come from single-parent households or families with physical disabilities and low earning potential. In addition, the beauty of a child and lack of access to education also make a child a likely target for trafficking.
To contribute to their keep and to support SSF, the girls who live at SSF spend hours on end making hundreds of elaborate flowers fashioned out of metal rods and colorful nylon, which are then sold at market for use in weddings or other ceremonies. But not all of the organization's work is at the home itself--much of what the organization does extends into the community. Global Playground saw SSF's outreach efforts firsthand when it toured the Cambodian countryside and visited with several of the families that SSF is helping. One family consisted of a single mother and her daughter who were living in a dilapidated structure, but because the home had no walls the daughter was in constant danger of abduction and trafficking given her beauty. SSF is rebuilding the home. In other cases, SSF teaches families how to run a business and provides them with startup capital to do so. For example, SSF taught one mother whom Global Playground visited how to raise fish and grow rice and morning glories (a marketable vegetable in Cambodia) so that she could keep her family out of poverty and her daughters safe.
Global Playground visited SSF to better understand the import of bolstering education in Cambodia. Board member Doug Smith stated, "Part of the reason Global Playground is operating in Cambodia is because there is child trafficking and education is a means to alleviate it." Although SSF's goal is not education alone, Global Playground does see education as the ultimate preventative measure. "If kids are in school and gaining education to allow them to enter jobs successfully and earn decent income, then trafficking is not as serious of a risk," said board member Doug Bunch.
During its visit, Global Playground purchased the entire inventory of the girls' nylon flowers and will sell them at Global Playground's March 27 event in Washington, DC at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
-Jennifer Rinker
To read the profile of one of the families SSF is helping and to view pictures from Global Playground's visit with the family click here.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Take your action today to protect Cambodian children from child trafficking in the meantime world economic crisis
Dear readers,
World Economic Crisis has taken everything into trouble even though nonprofit organization likes SSF. Last financial year 08 (started from September 2007 to August 2008), SSF worked with several partners and generous individual donors to offer educational sponsorship to at least 130 children at-high risk for being trafficked as well as supporting 30% of those children’s families to run various small businesses like grocery selling, cupcake business, livestock raising, vegetable gardening and etc. with at least 95% of those supported families are able to maintain their businesses until now (those were extracted and reported you already in our 2008 annual report).
With economic crisis, SSF experiences with very critical challenge as we needed to decrease number of supported children to 50 even though those dropped children themselves and their families cried with begging us to continue our support while we were impossible to do, due to raised fund is very limited for the financial year 2009. But however, even we minimized number of beneficiaries of the Child Protection Program, we still struggle with very shortfall fund and we will enforce to halt the Program soon if we couldn’t find any sponsors.
SSF is rely on you and would like to invite you to be part of us again to maintain fifty [50] supported children (95% underage girls) within the following fields;
• sending them to attend their education at state schools (four hours a day and six days a week),
• to continue their Computer and English literacy classes, life-skills and vocational skills training at the SSF shelter,
• to provide other extracurricular activities and trainings, social recreation activities and etc in the shelter and their community.
To maintain the Child Protection Program, SSF will need financial aid at least US$ 1,000.00 per month (just only $20 per child a month). With the pledge amount, those children will receive a proper care from SSF staff, have a safe shelter to stay and learn, two times a day food allowance and accommodation and can putting their learned skills into practice and etc. at SSF compound.
SSF ensures that all donated money complies directly with your personal requests. SSF provides detailed documentation, photographs, and constant monitoring of your donation. Please visit our website at http://www.ssfcambodia.org for a complete list of our projects needing your help or email me directly via vichetr@ssfcambodia.org.
In case, you would like to donate SSF, you can do via our bank account herewith attached file or go to http://www.ssfcambodia.org/donate.php for online donation.
Sincerely Yours,
Vichetr Uon
www.ssfcambodia.org
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Annual Report. Message from the Executive Director
I. Message from the Executive Director
On behalf of the SSF team I am pleased to present the annual report for the 2008 fiscal year, which covers September 01, 2007 to August 31, 2008. It is the first time that SSF has produced an annual report since the foundation was established in 2006. SSF has been speeding up the rate it works at by focusing on the impact the program has had on the lives of absolute poor families and especially the children in these families. These at-risk and in-need children are the new Cambodian generation and with proper education and better consultation from qualified organizations and other institutions/agencies, these children will not fall into same track of their parents. These children will also be able to avoid all forms of violence, exploitation, abuse and discrimination that are common within the poor and lowly educated as well as undeveloped communities.
In the 2008 fiscal year, the ongoing work of SSF would not be possible without the incredible generosity of the organizations and individual donors who give us so much support and encouragement. Their donations and support have helped SSF to protect over 135 children (67% of which are girls) who have or had a high risk for being trafficked through its Child Protection Program which includes Child Educational Sponsorship and Cerebral Palsy Projects. Additionally, 30% of their parents or guardians were selected and supported through various cottage industries such as grocery selling, cupcake making, vegetable garden without chemical fertilizer promotion, animal and poultry raising and etc. SSF and its donors have a very high commitment to ensuring that high risk children, their parents and their brothers and sisters will never face any forms of violence, exploitation, discrimination and abuse against, including commercial sexual exploitation, trafficking, child labor and child marriage. This includes commercial sexual exploitation, trafficking, child labor and child marriage. Their contributions continue to turn problems into opportunities, and promises into action and we are truly grateful.
Sincerely Yours,
Vichetr Uon,
Executive Director/Founder
II. Who We Are:
The Sao Sary Foundation (SSF) is a nonreligious, non-political, and independent humanitarian
organization devoted to ending human trafficking and helping poor children and families gain economic independence in impoverished communities. SSF centers around our children; thus, child sponsorship is our basic foundation. SSF was founded in 2006 and officially recognized by the national government of the Kingdom of Cambodia as a non-profit organization in 2007.
III. Mission:
SSF was created to improve the quality of life for families living in extreme destitution in Cambodia. SSF aims to develop educational support programs for children who run a high risk for being trafficked. SSF helps these children by protecting them from all forms of violence, exploitation and abuse including: commercial sexual exploitation, trafficking, child labor and child marriage. Our team is also committed to provide emergency support to extremely poor communities in rural Cambodia to reduce drop-out rates from public schools and to assist families in becoming economically self-sufficient through switching those target families from repeating low-income generating activities to unique and more financially sustainable activities. This economic independence will enable families more productive through more frequent planting for daily harvesting to provide for their own children entire family without the need to place them in orphanages, force them to quit school to work or, in extreme cases, traffic them.
IV. Background and History
Since recovering from decades of turmoil, genocide, and civil war, Cambodia now faces new challenges. Despite its recent economic growth in the past few years, it still remains one of the poorest countries in Asia. For the poor, education, vocational training and employment opportunities are insufficient to provide the income to meet minimum needs.
This makes rural-to-urban and cross-border migration by vulnerable families and individuals common, as they move in search of economic opportunities to survive. In the process, many become victims of trafficking for sexual exploitation, labor exploitation, begging, or forced marriage.
Other factors such as gender-based discrimination, physical and sexual violence, family dysfunction, impact of HIV/AIDS, and indebtedness also increase vulnerabilities to trafficking. Though some victims is trafficked by strangers, many more are trafficked by someone they know, suggesting that family and community members play a major role in trafficking.
Cambodia is a source and destination country for trafficked persons. Cambodian women and girls are trafficked for commercial sexual exploitation to Thailand and Malaysia. Some Cambodian men who migrate willingly to Thailand to work are subjected to conditions of forced labor in the Thai fishing, construction, and agricultural industries. Women and girls are trafficked to Thailand for exploitative labor, and some are forced into prostitution. Some Cambodian male migrant workers returning from India, South Korea, and Malaysia reported being subjected to conditions of forced labor and debt bondage.
Cambodian children are trafficked to Thailand and Vietnam to beg or work on the streets selling candy or flowers or shining shoes. Some Cambodian women who migrated to Taiwan as the result of broken international marriages were subsequently trafficked for prostitution. Sex trafficking of women and girls, including ethnic Vietnamese, occurs within the country, from rural areas to the urban areas of Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, and Sihanouk Ville. Many of these individuals that are trafficked are never able to return to their homes. Cambodia is also a destination for Vietnamese women and girls trafficked for prostitution. It is a destination country for foreign child sex tourists, with increasing reports of Asian men traveling to Cambodia in order to have sex with underage virgin girls. Source: Worldvision.org and State.gov
V. WHERE WE WORK:
Currently SSF works in Kampong Speu province, one of the three poorest provinces of Cambodia, as identified by the Ministry of Planning in 2004. Kampong Speu is a highly at-risk province where most inhabitants try to find seasonal work in neighboring locations such as Phnom Penh, Sihanouk Ville, Koh Kong province and Thailand, where they are often exploited and work without pay. In Kampong Speu, education is not highly valued, especially for girls around age 13. Parents often force their young daughters to forge documents saying they are of minimum working age for local factories in order to provide financial support to their families.
"If [the NGOs] want to help me, they should also help my family. Otherwise I can't quit,” remarked one girl victim of the sex trade. Source: AFP
Education – SSF aims to provide access to basic education to all sponsored children of school age by enrolling them in public school as well as providing bicycles for transportation to and from school if necessary, schoolbooks and stationery, uniforms, school fees, daily pocket money and food for lunch. In addition, non-formal education for English and computer literacy are supplemented into the children’s curriculum to ensure sponsored children who study at a secondary school acquire the skills and knowledge necessary to be successful after finishing school.
2. Livelihood:
SSF works to strengthen the economic stability of families so that they can provide for their children. SSF educates families about different methods they can employ to become financially independent. We then give startup money to families to begin running these entrepreneurial programs. If the program succeeds, SSF conducts weekly follow-ups in order to monitor and mentor the family. Family consultations include matters such as: growing plants without the use of chemical fertilizers, composting, and further entrepreneurial purchase on matters such as land, poultry, and seeds. We also provide no-interest and low-interest loans, depending on the family’s financial position, so that these previously impoverished families can expand their economic resources. These consultations and no-interest loans prevent families from sliding back into poverty by having to repay money lenders who charge up to 10% daily interest rates.
In addition to financial assistance, SSF also helps mentor farmers and other target families. We have developed a new routine at SSF. This routine is a way for SSF to help target families keep from repeating low-income generating activities and switch to new, unique and more financially sustainable activities that can support their entire family. For example, this past year one family used to plant morning glory, a vegetable crop, on one ridge and wait for its harvest before planting a new crop, rather than successive plantings for continuous harvesting. Under SSF's new routine, this family will become more productive through more frequent planting for daily harvesting.
This past year, SSF also helped poor villages, such as the Tonlab village, to mentor farmers on how best to support their families and the community. We had great success in our educational efforts. Farmers began to produce vegetables not only for personal consumption, but also a surplus to sell in local markets. The produce provided a nutritional supplement to the families and children’s rice based diet. Additionally, the money gained from selling the surplus vegetables provided a much-needed income generating activity. Our organic farms in Tonlab are now the prototype to other surrounding villages, proving a major success in providing nutrition and financial stability to needy families.
VII. INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES SUPPORTED THIS YEAR
[A] girl, 17, said, “Police arrest us in the hope that the brothel owners will pay, but if we don't have anyone to pay for our release we will be sent to one of the nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). It's o.k. to live at the NGOs, but then our families have nothing to eat," she said. Source: AFP
SSF works with many families and expands the number we support each year. These stories show the dire straights that the children and their families are in when SSF finds them as well as some success stories, revealing how SSF works and benefits its target group.
The Cambodian League for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights (LICADHO), says that despite public awareness campaigns, law enforcement against prostitution and human trafficking remains ineffective. Source: AFP
Theanin and Rithy
Theanin is 17 and is the second girl of eight in her family that also has one brother. Her younger sister, the third daughter, Rithy is 15 years old. They were living with their mother in a temporary hut built on the ground of a former commune hall plot. Though the local authorities resettled her family to this land, they quickly asked the family to leave as soon as possible. Cambodian law allows Cambodians to become the owner of land that they have resettled on within about a five years period without disputation. This law allows them to automatically become the landlord once this time period is up.
Rithy’s mother was an orphan and didn’t have time to learn while she was young and living with her neighbors. Without placing value on education she did not enroll Theanin, Rithy and the other children in primary school, even though the primary school was close to their hut. The children were forced to accompany their mother and help her work to repay the debt she and three other families incurred within their community. This debt is to money lenders who loaned there family a small amount of cash and rice with 100% annual interest for nine years. Since the family could not repay the debt they owed, totaling US $400, the mother stopped trying.
Rithy and Theanin's mother then became an alcoholic. This was spurred in part by debt and in part because the father of her nine children had another family. He ignored their family while looking after his first family. After the mother could not pay back her debt from moneylenders, Rithy was sold to repay her mother’s remaining debt of US$150. The moneylender brought Rithy to sell in Phnom Penh, and later, the second buyer sold her to a third family, three days before SSF staff brought one of its funding partners, Global Colors, to visit this home.
Rithy was released from that family and now stays at the SSF compound waiting for any generous donor who can help her to build a new life. Rithy needs funding for the following:
• Consultation with a professional psychologist to consult her mental health
• Non-formal education on Khmer literacy and mathematics
• English and computer literacy training
• Life-skills training and other vocational-skills training to ensure she can run a small business in the future properly to survive by herself
• Affording her opportunities to participate in any social or recreational activities and other extracurricular activities
To adequately provide for Rithy for the next two years SSF projects a total of budget US$ 2,382.60. We are still seeking a financial pledge from any generous individual donor.
The budget is detailed below:
• Residential shelter rents $10 x 24 months= $240
• Electricity and water utilities $5 x 24 months= $120
• White rice and food accommodation and allowance $40 x 24 months= $960
• Clothes, hygiene materials and health care $10 x 24 months=$240
• Domestic materials $9 x 24 months=$216
• Daily pocket money $10 x 24 months=$240
• Working capital assistance (business capital) $150
• Operation and administration costs (10%) $216.6
The trafficking of Rithy places Theanin at a high likelihood of being trafficked herself. This is compounded by the fact that someone has already offered, and continues to offer, the mother US $600 for Theanin. This amount would allow the mother to build a new house. Theanin also has to deal with the fact that she has become the primary person to support the family due to the mother’s alcoholism. To be able to start a business and support the family, as well as be educated, the two year profile for Theanin is the same as that for Rithy. She will need the same support as her sister plus US $50 needed to repair a broken hand pump at the family’s residence.
Srey Mao Family: Mother, 11 children
The mother and head of Srey Mao family was widowed when her husband suffered from mental health conditions. She was forced to sell all of her land to keep her husband alive, but unfortunately could not. “Everything died with my husband,” she remarked. To aid their mother, two of her sons went to Thailand as fishermen to work long hours without pay. They continued to work in hopes of bringing their family some food at the end of the season. However, while in Thailand, her sons became victims. The Thai fishermen hunted them both to kill them as sacrifices for the gods. So after fleeing their fishing boat, the sons swam 2 km along the shore to escape.
The mother, a skilled cupcake baker, continued to have no money for appropriate equipment nor capital to start her own business to feed her family. Thus, SSF began supporting her family with US $46 which she used to buy steam pots and other necessary equipment.
She produced cupcakes with her new business and sold them to the neighborhood primary school children. She made around US $2 per day, which was enough to buy white rice for her family. Her story would have been considered a success if it had not been for the nationwide inflation that hit Cambodia this past August. Since then, the previous price for rice, 1,000 riel per kilogram was raised to 3,500 riel/kg. She cannot charge more for her cupcakes, however, because her clients are students which can barely afford their school fees, let alone pay more for a midday cupcake.
As inflation subsides, she continues to sell her cupcakes. She was able to save US $100 last year, enough money to buy an adequate home for herself and her children. SSF continues to support the Srey Mao family, as all the girls are subject to human trafficking by the same neighbors who sold the sons to work in Thailand.
In the future she wants to raise another US $500 to finish building her home, which currently stands without walls. She hopes to start a home garden to supplement her cupcake business. Additionally, she hopes to begin raising poultry as another source of income.
Meas Pha Family: mother, 3 daughters, sons, grandchildren (11 household members)
Even though, a reliable count of the current disabled population is not available, however, it is generally accepted that Cambodia has one of the highest rates of disability in the world and that approximately 21% of the disabled population are children. The most common types of disability among children in Cambodia are Polio, hearing and visual problems and problems relating to the brain such as Cerebral Palsy and emotional and behavioral problems. Source: WorldEnable
There is a long history of discrimination against the disabled in Cambodia. Most Cambodians believe that a disabled person did something in his/her previous life to deserve this condition, thus must be left alone to suffer and wait until their next life. So is the case with Kong Thuok’s daughter, Socheat. Socheat was born with Cerebral Palsy, one of 400 cases throughout the Kampong Speu province. Her mother is infected with HIV, and her older sister has disowned the family, leaving Socheat in charge of herself once her mother passes away.
SSF is working with Socheat as a pilot project throughout the Kampong Speu province to show the community that people with Cerebral Palsy can indeed become independent members of
society. SSF supports visits from the physiotherapists who have helped restore some basic motor functions in Socheat. Socheat can now sit up in her wheelchair by herself. She can also speak and express herself, which she formally could not.
Additionally, SSF has given Mrs. Kong Thuok three grants of US $375 to begin and later to expand her grocery selling business. Because grocery selling is a hard business, we encourage her to enjoy her life with her children and continue to support her. In addition to paying for her much-needed goiter operation, SSF continues to give Mrs. Kong Thuok US $20 each month for transportation to Phom Penh to get her HIV medications.
In the future we will continue to work with Socheat so she can hopefully become the head of her family.
Phim Dy Family: Mother, Father, 3 Daughters, 3 Sons
Seeing this in September 2006, SSF presented the family the idea of growing morning glory, a vegetable sold throughout Cambodian markets. This popular culinary green vegetable was not traditionally grown in the family’s village, thus they were hesitant to begin such a garden. The family was taught how to grow the morning glory and given 5kg of morning glory seeds which were planted on another family’s land that allowed them to do so. The family was also provided with bicycles so they could take the morning glory to the market and sell it themselves.
The morning glory business has flourished and the family now harvests and makes approximately US $50 every two weeks. This has enabled the family not only to eat, but has also given them the ability to save money. Because of the work done and the money saved, in November 2008 the family built a new, larger house with an adequate roof.
Pictures, Mrs phim Dy and her old hut (left) and new house (below) with two year impact with supporting through SSF.
Two of the children, a boy and a girl, are currently back in school. Since the older children have never been enrolled in school, they are not allowed to enroll at a regular school, due to age limits for the grades they would have to enter. SSF is searching to find an informal school that will accept them as students, in order to bridge their educational gap so they can attend formal school.
SSF also plans to help the family expand its morning glory business to include rice production. To do this, however, the family will need more land. SSF also plans to teach the older daughters vocational skills and give them capital to start businesses of their own.
In Sokly Family: mother, father, 5 children
When SSF found this family they were very poor. They were living in a wall-less hut and had no land or livelihood. None of the children were enrolled in school. The family originally had six children but one of the daughters passed away before SSF became involved because the family could not afford health care.
SSF first supported this family by teaching them how to raise chickens. They then gave them US $70 worth of chicken cages, roosters and hens. They also sponsored two of the daughters.
With this initial help, the family has become self-sufficient. They were able to purchase new land. When the landowner of the land they were on found out that they were being helped by SSF he tried to sell them the land they were on for an extremely high price. They sought advice from SSF who found them land at a more reasonable price as well as loaned them money to build a new house on this land. They have repaid the loan and bought such things as cows, an ox cart and a motorbike.
On behalf of the SSF team I am pleased to present the annual report for the 2008 fiscal year, which covers September 01, 2007 to August 31, 2008. It is the first time that SSF has produced an annual report since the foundation was established in 2006. SSF has been speeding up the rate it works at by focusing on the impact the program has had on the lives of absolute poor families and especially the children in these families. These at-risk and in-need children are the new Cambodian generation and with proper education and better consultation from qualified organizations and other institutions/agencies, these children will not fall into same track of their parents. These children will also be able to avoid all forms of violence, exploitation, abuse and discrimination that are common within the poor and lowly educated as well as undeveloped communities.
In the 2008 fiscal year, the ongoing work of SSF would not be possible without the incredible generosity of the organizations and individual donors who give us so much support and encouragement. Their donations and support have helped SSF to protect over 135 children (67% of which are girls) who have or had a high risk for being trafficked through its Child Protection Program which includes Child Educational Sponsorship and Cerebral Palsy Projects. Additionally, 30% of their parents or guardians were selected and supported through various cottage industries such as grocery selling, cupcake making, vegetable garden without chemical fertilizer promotion, animal and poultry raising and etc. SSF and its donors have a very high commitment to ensuring that high risk children, their parents and their brothers and sisters will never face any forms of violence, exploitation, discrimination and abuse against, including commercial sexual exploitation, trafficking, child labor and child marriage. This includes commercial sexual exploitation, trafficking, child labor and child marriage. Their contributions continue to turn problems into opportunities, and promises into action and we are truly grateful.
Sincerely Yours,
Vichetr Uon,
Executive Director/Founder
II. Who We Are:
The Sao Sary Foundation (SSF) is a nonreligious, non-political, and independent humanitarian
organization devoted to ending human trafficking and helping poor children and families gain economic independence in impoverished communities. SSF centers around our children; thus, child sponsorship is our basic foundation. SSF was founded in 2006 and officially recognized by the national government of the Kingdom of Cambodia as a non-profit organization in 2007.III. Mission:
SSF was created to improve the quality of life for families living in extreme destitution in Cambodia. SSF aims to develop educational support programs for children who run a high risk for being trafficked. SSF helps these children by protecting them from all forms of violence, exploitation and abuse including: commercial sexual exploitation, trafficking, child labor and child marriage. Our team is also committed to provide emergency support to extremely poor communities in rural Cambodia to reduce drop-out rates from public schools and to assist families in becoming economically self-sufficient through switching those target families from repeating low-income generating activities to unique and more financially sustainable activities. This economic independence will enable families more productive through more frequent planting for daily harvesting to provide for their own children entire family without the need to place them in orphanages, force them to quit school to work or, in extreme cases, traffic them.
IV. Background and History
Since recovering from decades of turmoil, genocide, and civil war, Cambodia now faces new challenges. Despite its recent economic growth in the past few years, it still remains one of the poorest countries in Asia. For the poor, education, vocational training and employment opportunities are insufficient to provide the income to meet minimum needs.
This makes rural-to-urban and cross-border migration by vulnerable families and individuals common, as they move in search of economic opportunities to survive. In the process, many become victims of trafficking for sexual exploitation, labor exploitation, begging, or forced marriage.
Other factors such as gender-based discrimination, physical and sexual violence, family dysfunction, impact of HIV/AIDS, and indebtedness also increase vulnerabilities to trafficking. Though some victims is trafficked by strangers, many more are trafficked by someone they know, suggesting that family and community members play a major role in trafficking.
Cambodia is a source and destination country for trafficked persons. Cambodian women and girls are trafficked for commercial sexual exploitation to Thailand and Malaysia. Some Cambodian men who migrate willingly to Thailand to work are subjected to conditions of forced labor in the Thai fishing, construction, and agricultural industries. Women and girls are trafficked to Thailand for exploitative labor, and some are forced into prostitution. Some Cambodian male migrant workers returning from India, South Korea, and Malaysia reported being subjected to conditions of forced labor and debt bondage.
Cambodian children are trafficked to Thailand and Vietnam to beg or work on the streets selling candy or flowers or shining shoes. Some Cambodian women who migrated to Taiwan as the result of broken international marriages were subsequently trafficked for prostitution. Sex trafficking of women and girls, including ethnic Vietnamese, occurs within the country, from rural areas to the urban areas of Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, and Sihanouk Ville. Many of these individuals that are trafficked are never able to return to their homes. Cambodia is also a destination for Vietnamese women and girls trafficked for prostitution. It is a destination country for foreign child sex tourists, with increasing reports of Asian men traveling to Cambodia in order to have sex with underage virgin girls. Source: Worldvision.org and State.govV. WHERE WE WORK:
Currently SSF works in Kampong Speu province, one of the three poorest provinces of Cambodia, as identified by the Ministry of Planning in 2004. Kampong Speu is a highly at-risk province where most inhabitants try to find seasonal work in neighboring locations such as Phnom Penh, Sihanouk Ville, Koh Kong province and Thailand, where they are often exploited and work without pay. In Kampong Speu, education is not highly valued, especially for girls around age 13. Parents often force their young daughters to forge documents saying they are of minimum working age for local factories in order to provide financial support to their families.
"If [the NGOs] want to help me, they should also help my family. Otherwise I can't quit,” remarked one girl victim of the sex trade. Source: AFP
The mountainous province of Kampong Speu is faced with other challenges as well. This province rarely gets enough annual rainfall for drinking water, let alone to water crops or raise farm animals. In order to survive in times of severe drought, people in Kampong Speu sell their assets and what little personal property they have in order to pay off their debts incurred from borrowing money from money lenders, in order to buy meager amounts of water and rice. Water must be brought in from neighboring villages, and oftentimes elderly women get overcharged by those who bring water back to the community, villagers in Kraing Hong village said.
Additionally, the people of Kampong Speu, specifically Kraing Hong village of Samrong Tong district, suffer from severe political discrimination yet. This district, along with Kampong Speu very poor province receives very little aid yet. Thus, it is up to few NGOs and other local groups to create positive, sustainable changes in the community. One of the future goals of SSF includes creating a water-well for a community, so that members do not have to spend $.50 per day on water, at least ¼ of their daily income.
VI. HOW WE WORK:
SSF works to achieve its mission by financially supporting two different programs, our Child Protection and Livelihood programs. Our primary goal is to protect underprivileged children whose families fall into the category of “extremely” poor, whose children are vulnerable to varying forms of violence, exploitation, and abuse. This abuse includes commercial sexual exploitation, human trafficking, child labor, and child marriage.
1. Child Protection:
The goal of this support program is first accomplished by funding at-risk children to stay in school or funding the children to return to school. This funding provides for all of the clothing, books, fees, and other expenses that the child’s family could not otherwise provide. In some cases, children are given a place to live closer to the school, or a method of transportation to get to school, usually a bicycle. This gives the child a safe place to stay as well as food and other basic needs that could not be met by their family.
How SSF provides for children in the Child Protection Program:
Health – The objective is to improve and maintain the overall physical and mental health of sponsored children within the first 12 months of sponsorship. Health assessments are conducted immediately when a child has been selected for the project. Additionally, every three months children and their families are provided with insecticide tablets. Monthly medical follow ups are also conducted, along with a biannual full medical checkup.
Additionally, the people of Kampong Speu, specifically Kraing Hong village of Samrong Tong district, suffer from severe political discrimination yet. This district, along with Kampong Speu very poor province receives very little aid yet. Thus, it is up to few NGOs and other local groups to create positive, sustainable changes in the community. One of the future goals of SSF includes creating a water-well for a community, so that members do not have to spend $.50 per day on water, at least ¼ of their daily income.
VI. HOW WE WORK:
SSF works to achieve its mission by financially supporting two different programs, our Child Protection and Livelihood programs. Our primary goal is to protect underprivileged children whose families fall into the category of “extremely” poor, whose children are vulnerable to varying forms of violence, exploitation, and abuse. This abuse includes commercial sexual exploitation, human trafficking, child labor, and child marriage.
1. Child Protection:
The goal of this support program is first accomplished by funding at-risk children to stay in school or funding the children to return to school. This funding provides for all of the clothing, books, fees, and other expenses that the child’s family could not otherwise provide. In some cases, children are given a place to live closer to the school, or a method of transportation to get to school, usually a bicycle. This gives the child a safe place to stay as well as food and other basic needs that could not be met by their family.
How SSF provides for children in the Child Protection Program:
Health – The objective is to improve and maintain the overall physical and mental health of sponsored children within the first 12 months of sponsorship. Health assessments are conducted immediately when a child has been selected for the project. Additionally, every three months children and their families are provided with insecticide tablets. Monthly medical follow ups are also conducted, along with a biannual full medical checkup. Education – SSF aims to provide access to basic education to all sponsored children of school age by enrolling them in public school as well as providing bicycles for transportation to and from school if necessary, schoolbooks and stationery, uniforms, school fees, daily pocket money and food for lunch. In addition, non-formal education for English and computer literacy are supplemented into the children’s curriculum to ensure sponsored children who study at a secondary school acquire the skills and knowledge necessary to be successful after finishing school.
Social Welfare – Sponsorship from SSF helps to provide extracurricular activities for children in order to build their social knowledge and skills with regards to: health awareness, social morals, human rights, human trafficking, labor laws, economic planning (Action Plan and Budget), handmade crafts (artificial flowers, bead necklaces, bracelets, tooth sticks, chopsticks, and paintings), vocational training skills (such as sewing, haircutting and dressing, micro business management, social work, weaving, and agriculture [vegetable gardening, animal rearing, organic fertilizing and composting, and organic pesticide use]).
For more information on how you can help support the Social Welfare services provided by our Child Protection program, please view picture of some of our handicrafts at: http://www.ssfcambodia.org/craft.php. All of our products are handmade by women household heads and children as a part of our after school program in life-skills training session.
Shelter–We provide a basic shelter to all sponsored children. SSF does not maintain a separate shelter for orphans and other vulnerable children, rather they all live, work, and study together. All children stay in their homes or a guardian’s home within their own village or community if possible. If this is not possible, orphaned or at-risk children, along with children who have no relatives or a suitable foster guardian, come to live at an SSF shelter:
• Boys: SSF coordinates with Buddhist temples within the community to care for at-risk boys. SSF provides technical assistance in the forms of child development and financial support for these children at the temple. Currently, SSF has 10 orphans at the Champatep temple.
“Several Cambodian girls who agreed to be interviewed said they engage in sex work despite its dangers because they cannot afford to quit. Clients take me to guesthouses. I get U.S. $10 per night. They gang-rape me and beat me," another girl, 17, said. Source: AFP
• Girls: SSF hopes to establish a safe house for girls due to the increased number of sponsored children, especially girls who study at secondary and high schools; however this shelter is contingent upon the appropriate donations.
Income Generation – SSF encourages supported children and their guardians to build their own future with poverty-breaking credit and small business development programs. These steps toward financial independence allow SSF to help more families while allowing families to not be reliant on outside aid to survive.
For more information on how you can help support the Social Welfare services provided by our Child Protection program, please view picture of some of our handicrafts at: http://www.ssfcambodia.org/craft.php. All of our products are handmade by women household heads and children as a part of our after school program in life-skills training session.
Shelter–We provide a basic shelter to all sponsored children. SSF does not maintain a separate shelter for orphans and other vulnerable children, rather they all live, work, and study together. All children stay in their homes or a guardian’s home within their own village or community if possible. If this is not possible, orphaned or at-risk children, along with children who have no relatives or a suitable foster guardian, come to live at an SSF shelter:
• Boys: SSF coordinates with Buddhist temples within the community to care for at-risk boys. SSF provides technical assistance in the forms of child development and financial support for these children at the temple. Currently, SSF has 10 orphans at the Champatep temple.
“Several Cambodian girls who agreed to be interviewed said they engage in sex work despite its dangers because they cannot afford to quit. Clients take me to guesthouses. I get U.S. $10 per night. They gang-rape me and beat me," another girl, 17, said. Source: AFP
• Girls: SSF hopes to establish a safe house for girls due to the increased number of sponsored children, especially girls who study at secondary and high schools; however this shelter is contingent upon the appropriate donations.
Income Generation – SSF encourages supported children and their guardians to build their own future with poverty-breaking credit and small business development programs. These steps toward financial independence allow SSF to help more families while allowing families to not be reliant on outside aid to survive.As a part of income generation, supported children have had some success making handmade crafts such as artificial flowers and beaded necklaces. This past year, the flowers were sold in Cambodia and we established a partnership with the organization Global Playgrounds in the United States to sell these as well. To further our efforts to create an income, SSF trained interested children to create bead necklaces that are now being sold through the organizations Global Colors and the World Wish Campaign. Furthermore, SSF children also received training as to how to raise poultry to generate a sustainable income.
"I am unhappy with myself, but I pity my mother. No girl wants to do this horrible work," the 15-year-old, who asked not to be named, said in an interview as she looked for business near the Suriya Supermarket. Source: AFP
"I am unhappy with myself, but I pity my mother. No girl wants to do this horrible work," the 15-year-old, who asked not to be named, said in an interview as she looked for business near the Suriya Supermarket. Source: AFP
2. Livelihood:
SSF works to strengthen the economic stability of families so that they can provide for their children. SSF educates families about different methods they can employ to become financially independent. We then give startup money to families to begin running these entrepreneurial programs. If the program succeeds, SSF conducts weekly follow-ups in order to monitor and mentor the family. Family consultations include matters such as: growing plants without the use of chemical fertilizers, composting, and further entrepreneurial purchase on matters such as land, poultry, and seeds. We also provide no-interest and low-interest loans, depending on the family’s financial position, so that these previously impoverished families can expand their economic resources. These consultations and no-interest loans prevent families from sliding back into poverty by having to repay money lenders who charge up to 10% daily interest rates.In addition to financial assistance, SSF also helps mentor farmers and other target families. We have developed a new routine at SSF. This routine is a way for SSF to help target families keep from repeating low-income generating activities and switch to new, unique and more financially sustainable activities that can support their entire family. For example, this past year one family used to plant morning glory, a vegetable crop, on one ridge and wait for its harvest before planting a new crop, rather than successive plantings for continuous harvesting. Under SSF's new routine, this family will become more productive through more frequent planting for daily harvesting.
This past year, SSF also helped poor villages, such as the Tonlab village, to mentor farmers on how best to support their families and the community. We had great success in our educational efforts. Farmers began to produce vegetables not only for personal consumption, but also a surplus to sell in local markets. The produce provided a nutritional supplement to the families and children’s rice based diet. Additionally, the money gained from selling the surplus vegetables provided a much-needed income generating activity. Our organic farms in Tonlab are now the prototype to other surrounding villages, proving a major success in providing nutrition and financial stability to needy families.
VII. INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES SUPPORTED THIS YEAR
[A] girl, 17, said, “Police arrest us in the hope that the brothel owners will pay, but if we don't have anyone to pay for our release we will be sent to one of the nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). It's o.k. to live at the NGOs, but then our families have nothing to eat," she said. Source: AFP
SSF works with many families and expands the number we support each year. These stories show the dire straights that the children and their families are in when SSF finds them as well as some success stories, revealing how SSF works and benefits its target group.
The Cambodian League for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights (LICADHO), says that despite public awareness campaigns, law enforcement against prostitution and human trafficking remains ineffective. Source: AFP
Theanin and RithyTheanin is 17 and is the second girl of eight in her family that also has one brother. Her younger sister, the third daughter, Rithy is 15 years old. They were living with their mother in a temporary hut built on the ground of a former commune hall plot. Though the local authorities resettled her family to this land, they quickly asked the family to leave as soon as possible. Cambodian law allows Cambodians to become the owner of land that they have resettled on within about a five years period without disputation. This law allows them to automatically become the landlord once this time period is up.
Rithy’s mother was an orphan and didn’t have time to learn while she was young and living with her neighbors. Without placing value on education she did not enroll Theanin, Rithy and the other children in primary school, even though the primary school was close to their hut. The children were forced to accompany their mother and help her work to repay the debt she and three other families incurred within their community. This debt is to money lenders who loaned there family a small amount of cash and rice with 100% annual interest for nine years. Since the family could not repay the debt they owed, totaling US $400, the mother stopped trying.
Rithy and Theanin's mother then became an alcoholic. This was spurred in part by debt and in part because the father of her nine children had another family. He ignored their family while looking after his first family. After the mother could not pay back her debt from moneylenders, Rithy was sold to repay her mother’s remaining debt of US$150. The moneylender brought Rithy to sell in Phnom Penh, and later, the second buyer sold her to a third family, three days before SSF staff brought one of its funding partners, Global Colors, to visit this home.
Rithy was released from that family and now stays at the SSF compound waiting for any generous donor who can help her to build a new life. Rithy needs funding for the following:
• Consultation with a professional psychologist to consult her mental health
• Non-formal education on Khmer literacy and mathematics
• English and computer literacy training
• Life-skills training and other vocational-skills training to ensure she can run a small business in the future properly to survive by herself
• Affording her opportunities to participate in any social or recreational activities and other extracurricular activities
To adequately provide for Rithy for the next two years SSF projects a total of budget US$ 2,382.60. We are still seeking a financial pledge from any generous individual donor.
The budget is detailed below:
• Residential shelter rents $10 x 24 months= $240
• Electricity and water utilities $5 x 24 months= $120
• White rice and food accommodation and allowance $40 x 24 months= $960
• Clothes, hygiene materials and health care $10 x 24 months=$240
• Domestic materials $9 x 24 months=$216
• Daily pocket money $10 x 24 months=$240
• Working capital assistance (business capital) $150
• Operation and administration costs (10%) $216.6
The trafficking of Rithy places Theanin at a high likelihood of being trafficked herself. This is compounded by the fact that someone has already offered, and continues to offer, the mother US $600 for Theanin. This amount would allow the mother to build a new house. Theanin also has to deal with the fact that she has become the primary person to support the family due to the mother’s alcoholism. To be able to start a business and support the family, as well as be educated, the two year profile for Theanin is the same as that for Rithy. She will need the same support as her sister plus US $50 needed to repair a broken hand pump at the family’s residence.Srey Mao Family: Mother, 11 children
The mother and head of Srey Mao family was widowed when her husband suffered from mental health conditions. She was forced to sell all of her land to keep her husband alive, but unfortunately could not. “Everything died with my husband,” she remarked. To aid their mother, two of her sons went to Thailand as fishermen to work long hours without pay. They continued to work in hopes of bringing their family some food at the end of the season. However, while in Thailand, her sons became victims. The Thai fishermen hunted them both to kill them as sacrifices for the gods. So after fleeing their fishing boat, the sons swam 2 km along the shore to escape.The mother, a skilled cupcake baker, continued to have no money for appropriate equipment nor capital to start her own business to feed her family. Thus, SSF began supporting her family with US $46 which she used to buy steam pots and other necessary equipment.
She produced cupcakes with her new business and sold them to the neighborhood primary school children. She made around US $2 per day, which was enough to buy white rice for her family. Her story would have been considered a success if it had not been for the nationwide inflation that hit Cambodia this past August. Since then, the previous price for rice, 1,000 riel per kilogram was raised to 3,500 riel/kg. She cannot charge more for her cupcakes, however, because her clients are students which can barely afford their school fees, let alone pay more for a midday cupcake.
As inflation subsides, she continues to sell her cupcakes. She was able to save US $100 last year, enough money to buy an adequate home for herself and her children. SSF continues to support the Srey Mao family, as all the girls are subject to human trafficking by the same neighbors who sold the sons to work in Thailand.
In the future she wants to raise another US $500 to finish building her home, which currently stands without walls. She hopes to start a home garden to supplement her cupcake business. Additionally, she hopes to begin raising poultry as another source of income.
Meas Pha Family: mother, 3 daughters, sons, grandchildren (11 household members)
The family’s father died of HIV leaving his wife both unsure of her HIV status and in charge of providing for the 11 member household. This household includes two daughters who were previously married. When the men they married found out about how poor the family was they quickly divorced the daughters. This forced the daughters and their children to move back into the home. One of these daughters previously held a job at a garment factory but quit for her marriage and health problems prevent her from returning to work. Another daughter was drugged while on a public bus and taken away. Luckily the bus driver noticed something strange and when the family came asking questions, he was able to point them in the right direction to find her. This incident has left the girl with health problems but the family cannot afford to see doctors or find anyway to fix them.
In the past year SSF has funded a duck raising project for this family which has allowed them to make US $50. Partially in exchange for the assistance with the ducks and partially because of the mother looking at her own poor living condition, SSF convinced the mother to allow two of her children, a boy and a girl, to return to school. SSF now fully sponsors these children.
Kong Thuk Family: mother, two daughters
In the past year SSF has funded a duck raising project for this family which has allowed them to make US $50. Partially in exchange for the assistance with the ducks and partially because of the mother looking at her own poor living condition, SSF convinced the mother to allow two of her children, a boy and a girl, to return to school. SSF now fully sponsors these children.
Kong Thuk Family: mother, two daughters
Even though, a reliable count of the current disabled population is not available, however, it is generally accepted that Cambodia has one of the highest rates of disability in the world and that approximately 21% of the disabled population are children. The most common types of disability among children in Cambodia are Polio, hearing and visual problems and problems relating to the brain such as Cerebral Palsy and emotional and behavioral problems. Source: WorldEnable
There is a long history of discrimination against the disabled in Cambodia. Most Cambodians believe that a disabled person did something in his/her previous life to deserve this condition, thus must be left alone to suffer and wait until their next life. So is the case with Kong Thuok’s daughter, Socheat. Socheat was born with Cerebral Palsy, one of 400 cases throughout the Kampong Speu province. Her mother is infected with HIV, and her older sister has disowned the family, leaving Socheat in charge of herself once her mother passes away.SSF is working with Socheat as a pilot project throughout the Kampong Speu province to show the community that people with Cerebral Palsy can indeed become independent members of
society. SSF supports visits from the physiotherapists who have helped restore some basic motor functions in Socheat. Socheat can now sit up in her wheelchair by herself. She can also speak and express herself, which she formally could not.Additionally, SSF has given Mrs. Kong Thuok three grants of US $375 to begin and later to expand her grocery selling business. Because grocery selling is a hard business, we encourage her to enjoy her life with her children and continue to support her. In addition to paying for her much-needed goiter operation, SSF continues to give Mrs. Kong Thuok US $20 each month for transportation to Phom Penh to get her HIV medications.
In the future we will continue to work with Socheat so she can hopefully become the head of her family.
Phim Dy Family: Mother, Father, 3 Daughters, 3 Sons
When SSF first visited the Phim Dy family, there were eight people living together in a small house with a dirt floor and roof that did not keep out water. There were no beds and everyone was forced to sleep on a muddy floor when it rained. None of the children were in school. Instead they would work seasonally wherever it was possible. Because the father had an ongoing health condition, the mother single-handedly supported her entire family.
Seeing this in September 2006, SSF presented the family the idea of growing morning glory, a vegetable sold throughout Cambodian markets. This popular culinary green vegetable was not traditionally grown in the family’s village, thus they were hesitant to begin such a garden. The family was taught how to grow the morning glory and given 5kg of morning glory seeds which were planted on another family’s land that allowed them to do so. The family was also provided with bicycles so they could take the morning glory to the market and sell it themselves.The morning glory business has flourished and the family now harvests and makes approximately US $50 every two weeks. This has enabled the family not only to eat, but has also given them the ability to save money. Because of the work done and the money saved, in November 2008 the family built a new, larger house with an adequate roof.
Pictures, Mrs phim Dy and her old hut (left) and new house (below) with two year impact with supporting through SSF. 
Two of the children, a boy and a girl, are currently back in school. Since the older children have never been enrolled in school, they are not allowed to enroll at a regular school, due to age limits for the grades they would have to enter. SSF is searching to find an informal school that will accept them as students, in order to bridge their educational gap so they can attend formal school.
SSF also plans to help the family expand its morning glory business to include rice production. To do this, however, the family will need more land. SSF also plans to teach the older daughters vocational skills and give them capital to start businesses of their own.
In Sokly Family: mother, father, 5 children
When SSF found this family they were very poor. They were living in a wall-less hut and had no land or livelihood. None of the children were enrolled in school. The family originally had six children but one of the daughters passed away before SSF became involved because the family could not afford health care.
SSF first supported this family by teaching them how to raise chickens. They then gave them US $70 worth of chicken cages, roosters and hens. They also sponsored two of the daughters.
With this initial help, the family has become self-sufficient. They were able to purchase new land. When the landowner of the land they were on found out that they were being helped by SSF he tried to sell them the land they were on for an extremely high price. They sought advice from SSF who found them land at a more reasonable price as well as loaned them money to build a new house on this land. They have repaid the loan and bought such things as cows, an ox cart and a motorbike.
All of the children that are of school age are currently enrolled in school and this is funded by the family. In the future SSF will continue to assist the family in making decision about financial matters.
Dy Phen Family: mother, 2 girls, 2 boys
Coming from an extremely poor family, Phalika has seen many hardships in her life. Her father was a human trafficker in the past, who worked for his neighbor, selling workers from a commune to work in Thailand. While working in Thailand, all of the workers died at sea, except for Phalika’s father, a very good swimmer, who now owed his boss money for the lost workers. Phalika’s father stayed in Thailand and contracted HIV while there, but never told his family. When he returned home, he got very sick with AIDS, and Phalika’s mother sold everything to pay for his medications. He did not tell his wife until the day he died that he had AIDS.
Phalika and her family were exploited, working long hours without payment in order to pay off their debt. Phalika’s brothers escaped, leaving her and her sister to take care of their mother who thought she had AIDS. The other brothers drug and alcohol problems meant he could be of no help to the family.
Just before SSF intervened, Phalika and her sister were about to be sold to the money lenders to pay off the family’s remaining debt. This family was previously discriminated against for being so poor, and no one would help them get out of poverty.
In addition to saving Phalika and her sister from being sold, SSF also paid for Phalika’s mother to have several blood tests to prove she was HIV negative. Previously Phalika’s mother would not eat or drink, to save food for her children, because she was convinced she had HIV. After several blood tests, she finally believed her results of being HIV negative.
SSF established an agreement with Phalika’s mother that she must let her daughters return to school (her sister was forced to lie about her age and work in a garment factory) in exchange for SSF helping the family gain economic stability. Phalika now regularly attends school and receives top marks.
In the future, SSF is helping the family to sponsor Phalika’s education, raise pigs and their own home garden. Phalika’s mother is extremely willing to try new projects, and is so happy to be alive now that she decisively knows she does not have HIV.
VIII. Projects and Programs
In addition to helping individual children and families, SSF works with the community as a whole. This year SSF organized several projects and programs to address community needs. These include: our Handicraft Project, Well Project, Community Building Project and Self-Help Groups, and our Emergency Needs Program.
i. Handicraft Project
In addition to giving 40 children the training to make artificial flowers and bead necklaces, last year, SSF offered 11 poor household heads similar opportunities. Artificial flowers were produced for Phnom Penh markets while bead necklaces were produced for fund raising in the United States. Though this project only survived 10 months out of the year due to inflation and lack of buyers, throughout this time, the sales profits generated enough income to sustain these eleven families.
Unfortunately, this project could no longer be supported after inflation, because we could neither increase the price of the flowers, nor could we ask the producers to make more than 70 flowers per day.
Please visit http://www.ssfcambodia.org/craft.php for more information about this project and how you can help.
ii. Well Project
Clean water is vital for healthy living. In Cambodia’s rural areas however, people still experience difficulties accessing this precious fluid SSF helps people gain access to sanitary drinking water by financially supporting a well-ring construction every year 2006. This program aims to help families in Chbar Mon and Samrong Tong districts of the Kampong Speu Province. By improving community access to sources of safe drinking water, as well as water for domestic use, their home gardens and animals can thrive and provide a viable economic source. Each beneficiary contributed 25%-45% of the labor necessary to build one well, and SSF contributed approximately US$ 85-140 towards the cost of materials purchased and transported to build each well. During this past year, one open well was constructed in Srae Kak Village increasing the number of open wells to two in two different villages.
The wells were constructed using a participatory approach which required target families make a financial or in-kind contribution, usually in the form of labor, towards construction of the well. While the wells themselves were constructed on the property of one family, other families living near that area have equal access. While most of absolute poor families were unable to make a financial contribution towards construction of the well, they were able to volunteer their time by digging holes and placing rings into the well.
Five households with approximately 25 household members (80% having underage children) live around the installed open well in Srae Kak Village. Construction of the well was invaluable to these families who said they now had time focus their efforts not just on gathering water for bathing and drinking. Most importantly, children living near the well who previously assisted in water collection now are able to attend school. Prior to the well, 70% of children in Srae Kak had to drop out of school because their parents needed them to help collect water and could not afford notebooks, uniforms, or a means of transportation for their children. Additionally families were unable to provide their children with daily pocket money that is used to pay teachers to cover printing costs and study material.
After consultation with SSF families living near this newly-acquired water source were able to create home vegetable gardens around the well. This produce is now used for domestic consumption and the surplus is sold to neighboring villages.
Assisting communities through our Well Projects, like we were able to do in Srae Kak village this past year, was extremely successful. Families in the area were not only given sufficient water for human and livestock, but more importantly they were also able to begin growing gardens in the area, improving their financial situation and the environment.
For more information on the water situation in the area, please visit: http://www.foodsecurityatlas.org/khm/country/provincial-Profile/Kampong-Speu.
iii. Community Building Project and Self-Help Groups
SSF realizes the economic disparity in the impoverished communities with which we work, and is committed to raising their standard of living. Our Community Building Project was created with intention the community becoming wholly involved in order to raise the standard of living, create fair access to education, and to foster economic independence in Kampong Speu. Together, we hope that the community can come out of poverty. This would mean that children in Kampong Speu could pursue education rather than be subject to abuse, violence, child labor, child marriage and human trafficking. The Community Building Project was established with assistance from SSF.
Overall Objectives:
•To mobilize available resources to use locally rather than relying on external resources
•To form a Self- Help Group, bringing the community together to discuss with each other common problems affecting their lives such as children’s education, health, environment, agriculture, and animal health.
•To provide families with training on organizational, financial and micro-business management in order to generate income. We also aim to encourage the responsible use of savings through capital investments and monthly saving. We will do this through monthly meetings concerning household and group planning for the future.
•To help impoverished families get loans both in-kind and in cash, which most families are currently unable to access. We aim to prevent families from having to borrow from moneylenders, who charge exorbitant interest rates of 5-15% daily.
•To help families in the Self-Help Groups improve the standard of living and strengthen the capacity of members to generate an income through a general or agricultural business. With these income-generating activities, Self-Help Groups can earn a viable income and increase the groups’ internal funds, eventually sustaining self-finance and self-reliance.
•To provide families with clean water, access to sanitation and good hygiene habits.
Beneficiaries:
From 150-200 needy families in ten villages will directly benefit from this project. Three Self-Help Groups in three villages with 50 poor families have already been formed.
Projected Budget:
See future work plan and tentative budget in section VII below.
iiv. Food House Project
Next year, SSF intends to establish the Food House Project to help rescue children from the street whose diets come from collecting food scraps from rubbish dumps, garbage piles, and recycling bins for daily consumption. SSF hopes to take in these children, oftentimes orphans and, after proper counseling and rehabilitation, reintegrate these children back into society.
Overall Objectives:
• To meet the physical needs of the children by providing food, clothing, shelter, and proper hygienic care, along with all other basic needs.
• To promote the mental well being of these children.
• To establish and operate a sponsorship scheme to provide these children with educational opportunities.
• To empower children and their families with resources that will enable them to engage in income-generating activities for self-reliant living.
• To offer career guidance and counseling services.
• To promote community-based health care among these children and their families.
• To establish vocational training programs to impart market-oriented skills.
• To provide extracurricular activities to these children in order to build their
social skills
Expected Output:
The Food House Project is looking forward to supporting 20 street children with the purpose of bringing hope to these children and improving their quality of life. Starting from providing adequate food for these children, SSF will conduct extensive counseling, in hopes of reintroducing these children back to society to lead normal lives.
Through this project, SSF expects that a food house will be established to provide a place where street children, whose survival depends on collecting food that has been thrown away, can get food to eat three times a day. SSF believes strongly in adequate nutrition for all children, and as these children gain more energy and succeed in physical rehabilitation, other types of rehabilitation will be possible. SSF also will provide clothing and other essentials for their daily needs.
Children from the streets, through the Food House Project, will have their health restored, as much as possible, to normal. SSF hopes to motivate these children to improve their lives through counseling and other social activities.
Through the Food House Project, children will be able to give up their life on the streets and return to society with the skills necessary to meet their basic needs. The number of children who depend on garbage bins for food in the Kampong Speu province will decrease. We hope to that with our rehabilitation programs former street children, of the appropriate age, will attend school. Children older than 18 years old will be provided with vocational skills training to ensure a better life for themselves in the future.
These children’s parents, guardians, or foster parents will be given job consultation on a regular basis to improve or start their own businesses or careers properly. At least half of these families will receive financial grant support through Project Food House, with an initial grant support of US$150 to begin a viable business. Additionally, three SSF staff members, including a cook, cleaner, and guard will be selected from children in the Project’s household members.
a. A New Information System
Moreover, an Information System will be developed and utilized for data collection, note taking, and as a repository of the detailed progress of this project. Data and information collected will be compiled for monthly, quarterly, semi-annual and annual reports as a requirement by SSF and our donors who support this project.
Through our Information System we will be able to:
• See general data of individual children who are participating in the project,
• Review their family information and background
• Monitor the education of each child in the Food House Project and view their progress
• Access general information about medical assessments from a medical doctor. SSF will monitor the health of each child from their first arrival to the center, and all other medical follow-ups and consultations during their stay at the center
• Catalogue general information about the psychological assessments provided by a counselor upon their first arrival to the center, as well as any follow-up and consultations
• Track any follow-up information, including information about new careers or business developments from those who participated in Project Food House
Projected Budget:
See future work plan and tentative budget in section VII below.
IX. Future Goals
i. General Goals
With a clear focus of helping families and children breach the boundaries of poverty to attain financial independence, SSF plans to work diligently on accomplishing our goals. Our goals for this year include:
Providing 70 families with initial capital to start grocery selling or other businesses including growing vegetable without chemical fertilizer use, raising chickens, ducks, cows, and other animals to families throughout Kampong Speu in order to increase their family earnings
Provide full support to 40 more children and to continue to provide support to our 60 children that already receive our support
Support every SSF family with vegetable seeds in order to start their own home gardens
Continue working with Socheat and begin working with other Cerebral Palsy children in the area to create awareness and acceptance in the community and to teach independence in Cerebral Palsy children
ii. SSF & Cambodia’s Millennium Development Goals
Goal 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
Overall target 1: Halve, between 1993 and 2015, the proportion of people whose income is less than the national poverty line
Target 1.1: Decreasing the proportion of people whose income is less than the national poverty line from 39% in 1993 to 19.5% in 2015 Target 1.2: Increasing the share of poorest quintile in national consumption from 7.4% in 1993 to 11% in 2015 Target 1.3: Decreasing the proportion of working children aged between 5-17 years old from 16.5% in 1999 to 8% in 2015
Overall target 2: Halve, between 1993 and 2015, the proportion of people who suffer from hunger
Target 1.5: Decreasing the proportion of population below the food poverty line from 20% in 1993 to 10% in 2015 Target 1.8: Increasing the proportion of households using iodized salt from 14% in 2000 to 90% in 2015
Goal 2: Achieve universal nine-year basic education
Overall target 3: Ensure all children complete primary schooling by 2010 and nine-year basic schooling by 2015
Target 2.1: Improving net admission rate from 81% in 2001 to 100% in 2010
Target 2.2: Improving net enrolment ratio in primary education from 87% in 2001 to 100% in 2010 Target 2.3: Improving net enrolment ratio in lower-secondary education from 19% in 2001 to 100% in 2015
Target 2.4: Reducing the proportion of 6-14 years old out of school from 35% in 1999 to 0% 2015 Target 2.5: Increasing the survival rate from grade 1 to 5 from 58% in 2001 to 100% in 2010 Target 2.6: Increasing the survival rate from grade 1 to 6 (last grade of primary cycle) from 51% in 2001 to 100% in 2010
Target 2.7: Increasing the survival rate from grade 1 to 9 (last grade of basic cycle) from 33% in 2001 to 100% in 2015 Target 2.8: Increasing the literacy rate of 15-24 years old from 82% in 1999 to 100% in 2015
Overall target 4: Eliminate gender disparity in nine-year basic education by 2010
Target 2.9: Improving the ratio of girls to boys in primary education from 87% in 2001 to 100% in 2010
Target 2.10: Improving the ratio of girls to boys in lower-secondary education from 63% in 2001 to 100% in 2010
Goal 3: Promote gender equality and empower women
Overall target 5: Significantly reduce gender disparities in upper secondary and tertiary education
Target 3.1: Improving the ratio of girls to boys in upper secondary education from 48% in 2001 to 100% in 2015 Target 3.2: Improving the ratio of girls to boys in tertiary education from 38% in 2001 to 85% in 2015 Target 3.3: Improving the ratio of literate females to males 15-24 years old from 87% in 1998 to 100% in 2010
Target 3.4: Improving the ratio of literate females to males 25-44 years old from 78% in 1998 to 100% in 2010
Overall target 6: Eliminate gender disparities in employment wages in all economic sectors
Target 3.5: Increasing female employment wages in the agriculture industry (primary sector) from 35% in 1998 to 50% in 2005
Target 3.6: Increasing female employment wages in industry (secondary sector) from 44% in 1998 to 50% in 2005 Target 3.7: Increasing the female employment wages in services (tertiary sector) from 21% in 1998 to 50% in 2015
Overall target 8: Reduce significantly all forms of violence against women and children
Target 3.16: Increasing the proportion of cases of domestic violence counseled by qualified personel to 100 by 2015
Target 3.17: Increasing the percentage of the population aware that violence against women is wrongful behaviour and a criminal act to 100 by 2015 Target 3.18: Developing and implementing laws against all forms of violence against women and children according to international requirements and standards by 2005
Target 3.20: Developing and Implementing a Prevention Plan by 2005
Cambodia MDG6: Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases
Overall target 11: Decreasing the spread of HIV/AIDS
Target 6.1: Reducing HIV prevalence rate among adults aged 15-49 from 2.6% in 2002 to 1.8% in 2015
Target 6.2: Reducing the HIV prevalence rate among pregnant women aged 15-24 visiting ANC from 2.7% in 2002 to 1.5% in 2015
Target 6.4: Increasing the percentage of young people aged 15-24 reporting the use of a condom during sexual intercourse with a non-regular sexual partner from 82% in 2002 to 95% in 2015
Target 6.5: Increasing the proportion of condom use reported by married women who identified themselves as at risk from 1% in 2000 to 10% in 2015
Overall target 12: Decreasing the spread of malaria
Target 6.8: Decreasing the malaria case fatality rate reported by public health sector from 0.4% in 2000 to 0.1% in 2015
Target 6.9: Increasing the proportion of population at high risk who slept under insecticide-treated bed nets during the previous night from 57% in 2002 to 98% in 2015
Target 6.10: Decreasing the number of malaria cases treated in the public health sector per 1,000 individuals from 11.4 in 2000 to 4.0 in 2015
Target 6.12: Decreasing the number of dengue cases treated in the public health sector per 1000 population from 1 in 2001 to 0.4 in 2015 Target 6.13: Decreasing the dengue case fatality rate reported by public health facilities from 1.5% in 2003 to 0.3% in 2015
Goal 7: Ensure environmental sustainability
Overall target 14: Halve the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water by 2015
Target 7.10: Increasing the proportion of rural population with access to safe water source from 24% in 1998 to 50% in 2015
Target 7.11: Increasing the proportion of urban population with access to safe water source from 60% in 1998 to 80% in 2015
Overall target 15: Halve the proportion of people without sustainable access to improved sanitation by 2015
Target 7.12: Increasing the proportion of rural populations with access to improved sanitation from 8.6% in 1996 to 30% in 2015
Target 7.13: Increasing the proportion of urban populations with access to improved sanitation from 49% in 1998 to 74% in 2015
MDG8: Forge A Global Partnership For Development 2
Overall target 17: Further develop an open, rule-based, predictable, non-discriminatory trading and financial system
Indicator 8.2: Proportion of ODA to basic social services (basic education, primary health care, nutrition, safe water and sanitation)
X. Future Plan and Tentative Budget:
i. Future Work Plan
i.1 Child Protection Program
i.1.1 Educational Sponsorship Project (ESP)
o To identify children who should continue support in next year for last year supported children and as well as selecting new children at high risk for being trafficked
o Registering sponsored children into public education system
o Meeting with sponsored children to determine their needs
o Children profiles update/case study
o Purchasing students and school materials and distribute
o Medical assessment/check up/consultation
o Working with school principals and asking their cooperation
o Registering sponsored children into public education system
o Registering sponsored children into shelter for whose have residences far from school >5KM
o Shelter Program activities
o Quarterly insecticide provide
o Social Recreation activities conduct
o Monthly and Semester’s scores collection from school
o Monthly monitor/visit/Follow up at school and/or home
i.1.2 Computer Class Project (CCP)
o Cont' training computer students by increasing their typing speed from 15 to 20 wpm
o Train computer students on Khmer typing and lab practice
o Microsoft Word (Office 2003)
o Microsoft Excel (Office 2003)
o To begin second computer class (basic computer principle, both English and Khmer typing)
o Microsoft Word course for second class student
i.1.3 English Class Project (ECP)
o Cont’ English course in elementary level
o English practice on speaking, listening and written
o To begin new class for new registered English Student (elementary level)
o English Elementary training to new registered children
o English practice on speaking, listening and written for new registered children
i.1.4 Cerebral Palsy Project (CPP)
o Cont' Physical therapy on her arms and training how to use her hands catching something
o Physical therapy on her shoulder to ensure its can release and control its self
o Cont' Physical therapy on her neck to ensure she can control its movement
o Physical and occupation therapy on her mouth and eyes to ensure she can control opening/closing her eyes and mouth
o Physical therapy on her back and waist to ensure she can control/release and use/order them in appropriate way
o Training her on how to get up in an appropriate technique by using her knees, foots, hip and waist
o Cont' physical therapy on her foots and train her on how to hold the right position getting up and walk
o Meditation techniques and Reflexology
o Attending Doh Sa Hou training conducted by Japanese expert team in Phnom Penh
o To begin physiotherapy consultation services to community people and children
1.1.5 Social Welfare Services (Extracurricular training and events/activities, life- skills, social skills and vocational skills training)
o Training on Positive thinking and refresher training to beneficiaries of Child Protection Programme
o Listening skills training and refresher to beneficiaries of Child Protection Programme
o Leadership training and refresher to beneficiaries of Child Protection Programme
o Health and hygiene awareness raising and refresher
o Social Moral and its refresher training
o Human Rights training and course refresher
o Human Trafficking awareness raising/training and refresher
o Law on labour awareness raising/training and refresher
o Children rearing training and practice for the Children of ESP, CCP and ECP
o Compost and TP making and practice for the children of ESP, CCP and ECP
o Personal understanding and exploration to beneficiaries of Child Protection Programme
o Rights and Responsibilities to beneficiaries of Child Protection Programme
o Saving and spending to beneficiaries of Child Protection Programme
o Planning and Budgeting to beneficiaries of Child Protection Programme
o Child Enterprise (Social and financial) to beneficiaries of Child Protection Programme
i.2 Livelihood Program
i.2.1 Cottage Industry
• Assisting children's families to prepare their household planning and budgeting
• Supporting some of those families to create/expand businesses or jobs and running
• Supporting and advising those families about organizing home gardens
• Promote/Training target families about growing vegetable without chemical fertilizer (Organic & compost promotion)
• Training and inspiring those people to begin financial saving
• Family visit/follow up/ monitor and business advising
• Strengthen role and responsibilities of the Self Help Groups assisted to form last year
• Cont' to form SHGs in other villages that SSF works with
• Awareness raising or training about related laws to ensure parents and their communities are act as key persons to responsible and end all forms of violence, exploitation and abuse against children
i.2.2 Emergency Aid
• Buy mosquito nets and distribute to target households
• Buy ceramic/biosand water filters and distribute to target households
• Buy insecticide and distribute to target households
• Open wells digging
• Vegetable seeds
• Agriculture tools
• Develop in-need families biography and invoke for financial support.
Dy Phen Family: mother, 2 girls, 2 boys
Coming from an extremely poor family, Phalika has seen many hardships in her life. Her father was a human trafficker in the past, who worked for his neighbor, selling workers from a commune to work in Thailand. While working in Thailand, all of the workers died at sea, except for Phalika’s father, a very good swimmer, who now owed his boss money for the lost workers. Phalika’s father stayed in Thailand and contracted HIV while there, but never told his family. When he returned home, he got very sick with AIDS, and Phalika’s mother sold everything to pay for his medications. He did not tell his wife until the day he died that he had AIDS.Phalika and her family were exploited, working long hours without payment in order to pay off their debt. Phalika’s brothers escaped, leaving her and her sister to take care of their mother who thought she had AIDS. The other brothers drug and alcohol problems meant he could be of no help to the family.
Just before SSF intervened, Phalika and her sister were about to be sold to the money lenders to pay off the family’s remaining debt. This family was previously discriminated against for being so poor, and no one would help them get out of poverty.
In addition to saving Phalika and her sister from being sold, SSF also paid for Phalika’s mother to have several blood tests to prove she was HIV negative. Previously Phalika’s mother would not eat or drink, to save food for her children, because she was convinced she had HIV. After several blood tests, she finally believed her results of being HIV negative.
SSF established an agreement with Phalika’s mother that she must let her daughters return to school (her sister was forced to lie about her age and work in a garment factory) in exchange for SSF helping the family gain economic stability. Phalika now regularly attends school and receives top marks.In the future, SSF is helping the family to sponsor Phalika’s education, raise pigs and their own home garden. Phalika’s mother is extremely willing to try new projects, and is so happy to be alive now that she decisively knows she does not have HIV.
VIII. Projects and Programs
In addition to helping individual children and families, SSF works with the community as a whole. This year SSF organized several projects and programs to address community needs. These include: our Handicraft Project, Well Project, Community Building Project and Self-Help Groups, and our Emergency Needs Program.
i. Handicraft Project
In addition to giving 40 children the training to make artificial flowers and bead necklaces, last year, SSF offered 11 poor household heads similar opportunities. Artificial flowers were produced for Phnom Penh markets while bead necklaces were produced for fund raising in the United States. Though this project only survived 10 months out of the year due to inflation and lack of buyers, throughout this time, the sales profits generated enough income to sustain these eleven families.Unfortunately, this project could no longer be supported after inflation, because we could neither increase the price of the flowers, nor could we ask the producers to make more than 70 flowers per day.
Please visit http://www.ssfcambodia.org/craft.php for more information about this project and how you can help.
ii. Well Project
Clean water is vital for healthy living. In Cambodia’s rural areas however, people still experience difficulties accessing this precious fluid SSF helps people gain access to sanitary drinking water by financially supporting a well-ring construction every year 2006. This program aims to help families in Chbar Mon and Samrong Tong districts of the Kampong Speu Province. By improving community access to sources of safe drinking water, as well as water for domestic use, their home gardens and animals can thrive and provide a viable economic source. Each beneficiary contributed 25%-45% of the labor necessary to build one well, and SSF contributed approximately US$ 85-140 towards the cost of materials purchased and transported to build each well. During this past year, one open well was constructed in Srae Kak Village increasing the number of open wells to two in two different villages.The wells were constructed using a participatory approach which required target families make a financial or in-kind contribution, usually in the form of labor, towards construction of the well. While the wells themselves were constructed on the property of one family, other families living near that area have equal access. While most of absolute poor families were unable to make a financial contribution towards construction of the well, they were able to volunteer their time by digging holes and placing rings into the well.
Five households with approximately 25 household members (80% having underage children) live around the installed open well in Srae Kak Village. Construction of the well was invaluable to these families who said they now had time focus their efforts not just on gathering water for bathing and drinking. Most importantly, children living near the well who previously assisted in water collection now are able to attend school. Prior to the well, 70% of children in Srae Kak had to drop out of school because their parents needed them to help collect water and could not afford notebooks, uniforms, or a means of transportation for their children. Additionally families were unable to provide their children with daily pocket money that is used to pay teachers to cover printing costs and study material.
After consultation with SSF families living near this newly-acquired water source were able to create home vegetable gardens around the well. This produce is now used for domestic consumption and the surplus is sold to neighboring villages.
Assisting communities through our Well Projects, like we were able to do in Srae Kak village this past year, was extremely successful. Families in the area were not only given sufficient water for human and livestock, but more importantly they were also able to begin growing gardens in the area, improving their financial situation and the environment.
For more information on the water situation in the area, please visit: http://www.foodsecurityatlas.org/khm/country/provincial-Profile/Kampong-Speu.
iii. Community Building Project and Self-Help Groups
SSF realizes the economic disparity in the impoverished communities with which we work, and is committed to raising their standard of living. Our Community Building Project was created with intention the community becoming wholly involved in order to raise the standard of living, create fair access to education, and to foster economic independence in Kampong Speu. Together, we hope that the community can come out of poverty. This would mean that children in Kampong Speu could pursue education rather than be subject to abuse, violence, child labor, child marriage and human trafficking. The Community Building Project was established with assistance from SSF.Overall Objectives:
•To mobilize available resources to use locally rather than relying on external resources
•To form a Self- Help Group, bringing the community together to discuss with each other common problems affecting their lives such as children’s education, health, environment, agriculture, and animal health.
•To provide families with training on organizational, financial and micro-business management in order to generate income. We also aim to encourage the responsible use of savings through capital investments and monthly saving. We will do this through monthly meetings concerning household and group planning for the future.
•To help impoverished families get loans both in-kind and in cash, which most families are currently unable to access. We aim to prevent families from having to borrow from moneylenders, who charge exorbitant interest rates of 5-15% daily.
•To help families in the Self-Help Groups improve the standard of living and strengthen the capacity of members to generate an income through a general or agricultural business. With these income-generating activities, Self-Help Groups can earn a viable income and increase the groups’ internal funds, eventually sustaining self-finance and self-reliance.
•To provide families with clean water, access to sanitation and good hygiene habits.
Beneficiaries:
From 150-200 needy families in ten villages will directly benefit from this project. Three Self-Help Groups in three villages with 50 poor families have already been formed.
Projected Budget:
See future work plan and tentative budget in section VII below.
iiv. Food House Project
Next year, SSF intends to establish the Food House Project to help rescue children from the street whose diets come from collecting food scraps from rubbish dumps, garbage piles, and recycling bins for daily consumption. SSF hopes to take in these children, oftentimes orphans and, after proper counseling and rehabilitation, reintegrate these children back into society.
Overall Objectives:
• To meet the physical needs of the children by providing food, clothing, shelter, and proper hygienic care, along with all other basic needs.
• To promote the mental well being of these children.
• To establish and operate a sponsorship scheme to provide these children with educational opportunities.
• To empower children and their families with resources that will enable them to engage in income-generating activities for self-reliant living.
• To offer career guidance and counseling services.
• To promote community-based health care among these children and their families.
• To establish vocational training programs to impart market-oriented skills.
• To provide extracurricular activities to these children in order to build their
social skills
Expected Output:
The Food House Project is looking forward to supporting 20 street children with the purpose of bringing hope to these children and improving their quality of life. Starting from providing adequate food for these children, SSF will conduct extensive counseling, in hopes of reintroducing these children back to society to lead normal lives.
Through this project, SSF expects that a food house will be established to provide a place where street children, whose survival depends on collecting food that has been thrown away, can get food to eat three times a day. SSF believes strongly in adequate nutrition for all children, and as these children gain more energy and succeed in physical rehabilitation, other types of rehabilitation will be possible. SSF also will provide clothing and other essentials for their daily needs.
Children from the streets, through the Food House Project, will have their health restored, as much as possible, to normal. SSF hopes to motivate these children to improve their lives through counseling and other social activities.
Through the Food House Project, children will be able to give up their life on the streets and return to society with the skills necessary to meet their basic needs. The number of children who depend on garbage bins for food in the Kampong Speu province will decrease. We hope to that with our rehabilitation programs former street children, of the appropriate age, will attend school. Children older than 18 years old will be provided with vocational skills training to ensure a better life for themselves in the future.
These children’s parents, guardians, or foster parents will be given job consultation on a regular basis to improve or start their own businesses or careers properly. At least half of these families will receive financial grant support through Project Food House, with an initial grant support of US$150 to begin a viable business. Additionally, three SSF staff members, including a cook, cleaner, and guard will be selected from children in the Project’s household members.
a. A New Information System
Moreover, an Information System will be developed and utilized for data collection, note taking, and as a repository of the detailed progress of this project. Data and information collected will be compiled for monthly, quarterly, semi-annual and annual reports as a requirement by SSF and our donors who support this project.
Through our Information System we will be able to:
• See general data of individual children who are participating in the project,
• Review their family information and background
• Monitor the education of each child in the Food House Project and view their progress
• Access general information about medical assessments from a medical doctor. SSF will monitor the health of each child from their first arrival to the center, and all other medical follow-ups and consultations during their stay at the center
• Catalogue general information about the psychological assessments provided by a counselor upon their first arrival to the center, as well as any follow-up and consultations
• Track any follow-up information, including information about new careers or business developments from those who participated in Project Food House
Projected Budget:
See future work plan and tentative budget in section VII below.
IX. Future Goals
i. General Goals
With a clear focus of helping families and children breach the boundaries of poverty to attain financial independence, SSF plans to work diligently on accomplishing our goals. Our goals for this year include:
Providing 70 families with initial capital to start grocery selling or other businesses including growing vegetable without chemical fertilizer use, raising chickens, ducks, cows, and other animals to families throughout Kampong Speu in order to increase their family earnings
Provide full support to 40 more children and to continue to provide support to our 60 children that already receive our support
Support every SSF family with vegetable seeds in order to start their own home gardens
Continue working with Socheat and begin working with other Cerebral Palsy children in the area to create awareness and acceptance in the community and to teach independence in Cerebral Palsy children
ii. SSF & Cambodia’s Millennium Development Goals
Goal 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
Overall target 1: Halve, between 1993 and 2015, the proportion of people whose income is less than the national poverty line
Target 1.1: Decreasing the proportion of people whose income is less than the national poverty line from 39% in 1993 to 19.5% in 2015 Target 1.2: Increasing the share of poorest quintile in national consumption from 7.4% in 1993 to 11% in 2015 Target 1.3: Decreasing the proportion of working children aged between 5-17 years old from 16.5% in 1999 to 8% in 2015
Overall target 2: Halve, between 1993 and 2015, the proportion of people who suffer from hunger
Target 1.5: Decreasing the proportion of population below the food poverty line from 20% in 1993 to 10% in 2015 Target 1.8: Increasing the proportion of households using iodized salt from 14% in 2000 to 90% in 2015
Goal 2: Achieve universal nine-year basic education
Overall target 3: Ensure all children complete primary schooling by 2010 and nine-year basic schooling by 2015
Target 2.1: Improving net admission rate from 81% in 2001 to 100% in 2010
Target 2.2: Improving net enrolment ratio in primary education from 87% in 2001 to 100% in 2010 Target 2.3: Improving net enrolment ratio in lower-secondary education from 19% in 2001 to 100% in 2015
Target 2.4: Reducing the proportion of 6-14 years old out of school from 35% in 1999 to 0% 2015 Target 2.5: Increasing the survival rate from grade 1 to 5 from 58% in 2001 to 100% in 2010 Target 2.6: Increasing the survival rate from grade 1 to 6 (last grade of primary cycle) from 51% in 2001 to 100% in 2010
Target 2.7: Increasing the survival rate from grade 1 to 9 (last grade of basic cycle) from 33% in 2001 to 100% in 2015 Target 2.8: Increasing the literacy rate of 15-24 years old from 82% in 1999 to 100% in 2015
Overall target 4: Eliminate gender disparity in nine-year basic education by 2010
Target 2.9: Improving the ratio of girls to boys in primary education from 87% in 2001 to 100% in 2010
Target 2.10: Improving the ratio of girls to boys in lower-secondary education from 63% in 2001 to 100% in 2010
Goal 3: Promote gender equality and empower women
Overall target 5: Significantly reduce gender disparities in upper secondary and tertiary education
Target 3.1: Improving the ratio of girls to boys in upper secondary education from 48% in 2001 to 100% in 2015 Target 3.2: Improving the ratio of girls to boys in tertiary education from 38% in 2001 to 85% in 2015 Target 3.3: Improving the ratio of literate females to males 15-24 years old from 87% in 1998 to 100% in 2010
Target 3.4: Improving the ratio of literate females to males 25-44 years old from 78% in 1998 to 100% in 2010
Overall target 6: Eliminate gender disparities in employment wages in all economic sectors
Target 3.5: Increasing female employment wages in the agriculture industry (primary sector) from 35% in 1998 to 50% in 2005
Target 3.6: Increasing female employment wages in industry (secondary sector) from 44% in 1998 to 50% in 2005 Target 3.7: Increasing the female employment wages in services (tertiary sector) from 21% in 1998 to 50% in 2015
Overall target 8: Reduce significantly all forms of violence against women and children
Target 3.16: Increasing the proportion of cases of domestic violence counseled by qualified personel to 100 by 2015
Target 3.17: Increasing the percentage of the population aware that violence against women is wrongful behaviour and a criminal act to 100 by 2015 Target 3.18: Developing and implementing laws against all forms of violence against women and children according to international requirements and standards by 2005
Target 3.20: Developing and Implementing a Prevention Plan by 2005
Cambodia MDG6: Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases
Overall target 11: Decreasing the spread of HIV/AIDS
Target 6.1: Reducing HIV prevalence rate among adults aged 15-49 from 2.6% in 2002 to 1.8% in 2015
Target 6.2: Reducing the HIV prevalence rate among pregnant women aged 15-24 visiting ANC from 2.7% in 2002 to 1.5% in 2015
Target 6.4: Increasing the percentage of young people aged 15-24 reporting the use of a condom during sexual intercourse with a non-regular sexual partner from 82% in 2002 to 95% in 2015
Target 6.5: Increasing the proportion of condom use reported by married women who identified themselves as at risk from 1% in 2000 to 10% in 2015
Overall target 12: Decreasing the spread of malaria
Target 6.8: Decreasing the malaria case fatality rate reported by public health sector from 0.4% in 2000 to 0.1% in 2015
Target 6.9: Increasing the proportion of population at high risk who slept under insecticide-treated bed nets during the previous night from 57% in 2002 to 98% in 2015
Target 6.10: Decreasing the number of malaria cases treated in the public health sector per 1,000 individuals from 11.4 in 2000 to 4.0 in 2015
Target 6.12: Decreasing the number of dengue cases treated in the public health sector per 1000 population from 1 in 2001 to 0.4 in 2015 Target 6.13: Decreasing the dengue case fatality rate reported by public health facilities from 1.5% in 2003 to 0.3% in 2015
Goal 7: Ensure environmental sustainability
Overall target 14: Halve the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water by 2015
Target 7.10: Increasing the proportion of rural population with access to safe water source from 24% in 1998 to 50% in 2015
Target 7.11: Increasing the proportion of urban population with access to safe water source from 60% in 1998 to 80% in 2015
Overall target 15: Halve the proportion of people without sustainable access to improved sanitation by 2015
Target 7.12: Increasing the proportion of rural populations with access to improved sanitation from 8.6% in 1996 to 30% in 2015
Target 7.13: Increasing the proportion of urban populations with access to improved sanitation from 49% in 1998 to 74% in 2015
MDG8: Forge A Global Partnership For Development 2
Overall target 17: Further develop an open, rule-based, predictable, non-discriminatory trading and financial system
Indicator 8.2: Proportion of ODA to basic social services (basic education, primary health care, nutrition, safe water and sanitation)
X. Future Plan and Tentative Budget:
i. Future Work Plan
i.1 Child Protection Program
i.1.1 Educational Sponsorship Project (ESP)
o To identify children who should continue support in next year for last year supported children and as well as selecting new children at high risk for being trafficked
o Registering sponsored children into public education system
o Meeting with sponsored children to determine their needs
o Children profiles update/case study
o Purchasing students and school materials and distribute
o Medical assessment/check up/consultation
o Working with school principals and asking their cooperation
o Registering sponsored children into public education system
o Registering sponsored children into shelter for whose have residences far from school >5KM
o Shelter Program activities
o Quarterly insecticide provide
o Social Recreation activities conduct
o Monthly and Semester’s scores collection from school
o Monthly monitor/visit/Follow up at school and/or home
i.1.2 Computer Class Project (CCP)
o Cont' training computer students by increasing their typing speed from 15 to 20 wpm
o Train computer students on Khmer typing and lab practice
o Microsoft Word (Office 2003)
o Microsoft Excel (Office 2003)
o To begin second computer class (basic computer principle, both English and Khmer typing)
o Microsoft Word course for second class student
i.1.3 English Class Project (ECP)
o Cont’ English course in elementary level
o English practice on speaking, listening and written
o To begin new class for new registered English Student (elementary level)
o English Elementary training to new registered children
o English practice on speaking, listening and written for new registered children
i.1.4 Cerebral Palsy Project (CPP)
o Cont' Physical therapy on her arms and training how to use her hands catching something
o Physical therapy on her shoulder to ensure its can release and control its self
o Cont' Physical therapy on her neck to ensure she can control its movement
o Physical and occupation therapy on her mouth and eyes to ensure she can control opening/closing her eyes and mouth
o Physical therapy on her back and waist to ensure she can control/release and use/order them in appropriate way
o Training her on how to get up in an appropriate technique by using her knees, foots, hip and waist
o Cont' physical therapy on her foots and train her on how to hold the right position getting up and walk
o Meditation techniques and Reflexology
o Attending Doh Sa Hou training conducted by Japanese expert team in Phnom Penh
o To begin physiotherapy consultation services to community people and children
1.1.5 Social Welfare Services (Extracurricular training and events/activities, life- skills, social skills and vocational skills training)
o Training on Positive thinking and refresher training to beneficiaries of Child Protection Programme
o Listening skills training and refresher to beneficiaries of Child Protection Programme
o Leadership training and refresher to beneficiaries of Child Protection Programme
o Health and hygiene awareness raising and refresher
o Social Moral and its refresher training
o Human Rights training and course refresher
o Human Trafficking awareness raising/training and refresher
o Law on labour awareness raising/training and refresher
o Children rearing training and practice for the Children of ESP, CCP and ECP
o Compost and TP making and practice for the children of ESP, CCP and ECP
o Personal understanding and exploration to beneficiaries of Child Protection Programme
o Rights and Responsibilities to beneficiaries of Child Protection Programme
o Saving and spending to beneficiaries of Child Protection Programme
o Planning and Budgeting to beneficiaries of Child Protection Programme
o Child Enterprise (Social and financial) to beneficiaries of Child Protection Programme
i.2 Livelihood Program
i.2.1 Cottage Industry
• Assisting children's families to prepare their household planning and budgeting
• Supporting some of those families to create/expand businesses or jobs and running
• Supporting and advising those families about organizing home gardens
• Promote/Training target families about growing vegetable without chemical fertilizer (Organic & compost promotion)
• Training and inspiring those people to begin financial saving
• Family visit/follow up/ monitor and business advising
• Strengthen role and responsibilities of the Self Help Groups assisted to form last year
• Cont' to form SHGs in other villages that SSF works with
• Awareness raising or training about related laws to ensure parents and their communities are act as key persons to responsible and end all forms of violence, exploitation and abuse against children
i.2.2 Emergency Aid
• Buy mosquito nets and distribute to target households
• Buy ceramic/biosand water filters and distribute to target households
• Buy insecticide and distribute to target households
• Open wells digging
• Vegetable seeds
• Agriculture tools
• Develop in-need families biography and invoke for financial support.
i.2.3 Micro-Credit Support
• Loan support to formed self help groups
• Loan support to every family helped to run small businesses at homes/communities
• Loan support to other communities members to prevent them from moneylenders’ traps to keep especially their girls in a place with fully protection.
i.2.4 Reconciliation and Peaceful Living of a at-risk sub-village
• Travel to the Project target area for preparatory phase
• Develop complete sets of data collection forms, database system to keep track process and project progress activities
• Select children to benefit from the Project's scholarship theme (data collection at primary school, community and their families, and school and student materials distribution)
• Conduct medical assessment to ensure their health are able to burden their offered education, quarterly medical checkup, consultation and care
• Monthly pocket money given, monitor & mentor, visit & follow up
• Contact local authorities, relevant/associate entities for public communication, sharing and exchange
• SSF Director/Project Assistance/Philologist works closely with local authorities, especially village leader
• To debate and reconcile gab between the discrimination made so far which lead to isolate the villagers in the sub-village where political discrimination
• Identify target group as households and determine type of support basing on their immediate need
• Conducting either individual intended support household or community economical situation assessment
• and identify family profiles and to assist them in preparation of monthly household planning and budgeting
• Organizing meetings with those households to select whose are interested in the project and form
• them into self help group. Take a lead and supervise of the monthly meeting, saving and investment
• SHG formation and working capital assistance supports to the group and group members.
• Hand pump well drilling and platform founded
• Ceramic/biosand water filters purchase and distribute
• Water and sanitation awareness raising/training conducts to target beneficiaries
• Awareness raising and training to villagers and teenagers and adults about the laws of child labour, human trafficking, human rights, labour law. Moreover, terms of violence, exploitation, abuse and discrimination will be embedding.
• Monitoring processes/visit/follow up and evaluation of supported families
• Preparation and compilation of both narrative and financial reports for submitting to
• funding partner
i.3 Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs)
• Cooperation and collaboration with NGOs and other related/associated institutions and agencies ,
• Do agreement with DoSVAY Kampong Speu provincial agreement (Province level),
• MoU with Ministry of Social Afairs, Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation (MoSAVY)
• Agreement with Department of Education and Sport of Kampong Speu Province
i.4 Publication and dissemination
• Child abuse campaign “Invite Children and Young People to participate in your prevention activities"
• Collect number of individuals "voters" interest to SSF Programmes
• Quarterly progress report briefly and next three month budget preparation and publication/dissemination
• Quarterly newsletter and case study/story written for every project and benefited individual and families and submission/dissemination
• Domain renews, website upgrade and information posting update, accuracy and current
• Six month progress and financial report preparation and publication/dissemination
• Annual glossy compilation and publication/dissemination
ii. Tentative Budget
Requested Amount Quantity Yearly Subtotal
US$140,137.00
I-CHILD PROTECTION PROGRAMME $61,119.00
I1-Educational Sponsorship to at-high risks of being trafficked girls $23,071.00
Residential shelter rents $ 160 1 12 $ 1,920
Electricity and Water utilities $ 100 1 12 $ 1,200
White rice $ 90 1 12 $ 1,080
Vegetable/meat/spice & ingredient/drinking water $ 25 10 12 $ 3,000
Cooking/Kitchen utensils $ 250 1 1 $ 250
Cooking gas/wood/charcoal $ 20 1 12 $ 240
Clothes/hygiene materials/health care $ 10 20 12 $ 2,400
Domestic materials/kits for the residents $ 9 20 12 $ 2,160
Daily pocket money $ 10 20 12 $ 2,400
Extra Private tutoring $ 15 14 12 $ 2,520
School/University fees $ 230 1 2 $ 460
Monthly expenses $ 60 1 12 $ 720
Student furniture $ 15 20 1 $ 300
Dinning table and chairs $ 13 22 1 $ 286
Cleaning supplies $ 30 1 4 $ 120
Farming tools $ 100 1 2 $ 200
Organic Gardening $ 100 1 1 $ 100
Saving contribution $ 5 20 12 $ 1,200
Teaching materials/equipment $ 30 1 12 $ 360
Life-skills training and practicum $ 100 1 12 $ 1,200
Social recreation activities $ 2 20 12 $ 480
Bicycles $40 4 1 $160.00
Bicycle maintenance $ 1 20 12 $ 240
Toilet $ 75 1 1 $ 75
I2-Cerebral Palsy Project $2,736.00
Physiotherapy $228.00 1 12 $2,736.00
I3-Food House Project $27,865.00
Monthly food support $25.00 30 12 $9,000.00
Daily pocket money $10.00 30 12 $3,600.00
Students and School materials $15.00 30 2 $900.00
Ordinary clothes $5.00 30 2 $300.00
Hygiene and domestic materials $8.00 30 12 $2,880.00
Medical/Psycho. Care $5.00 30 12 $1,800.00
Social recreational costs $300.00 1 3 $900.00
Bikes purchase and repair $45.00 10 1 $450.00
Child Abuse campaign $150.00 1 1 $150.00
Restaurant furniture, equipment & materials $1,250.00 1 1 $1,250.00
Refrigerator $350.00 1 1 $350.00
Beverage $7.00 5 1 $35.00
Restaurant rental cost $350.00 1 12 $4,200.00
Electricity and water utilities $120.00 1 12 $1,440.00
Investment capital $250.00 1 1 $250.00
Transportation $10.00 1 12 $120.00
Field Visits and Travel (gasoline, etc) $20.00 1 12 $240.00
I5-Computer Class Project $7,111.00
Desktop computer $400.00 15 1 $6,000.00
Printer LaserJet color $450.00 1 1 $450.00
Computer desks $40.00 15 1 $600.00
Whiteboard $25.00 1 1 $25.00
Markers and rubber $3.00 1 12 $36.00
I6-English Literacy Project $336.00
Whiteboard $25.00 1 1 $25.00
Student tables $25.00 10 1 $250.00
Whiteboard $25.00 1 1 $25.00
Markers and rubber $3.00 1 12 $36.00
II-LIVELIHOOD PROGRAMME $35,650.00
II1-Reconciliation and Peaceful living Project $8,720.00
Student uniforms $15.00 20 2 $600.00
Daily pocket money $10.00 20 12 $2,400.00
Hygiene and health care $5.00 20 12 $1,200.00
Drilling one hand pump well $2,750.00 1 1 $2,750.00
Biosand/Ceramic water filter $15.00 30 1 $450.00
IEC materials for training (paper, markers, etc.) $30.00 1 6 $180.00
snack/water/perdium/allowance $5.00 30 6 $900.00
Transportation and field visit (gasoline, etc.) $20.00 1 12 $240.00
II2-Cottage Industry Program $23,180.00
Fund allocated for supporting to the families $150.00 50 1 $7,500.00
Fund for additional support (loan) $150.00 20 1 $3,000.00
Small business training and refresher $8.00 70 4 $2,240.00
Monthly meeting for planning and budgeting $8.00 70 12 $6,720.00
Teaching materials/equipment $100.00 1 12 $1,200.00
Hygiene/health care $3.00 70 12 $2,520.00
II3-Emergency Aid $3,750.00
Two mosquito nets per household $5.00 70 1 $350.00
Ceramic/Biosand water filters $15.00 40 1 $600.00
Open wells digging $150.00 10 1 $1,500.00
Crop seeds $3.00 100 1 $300.00
Fund allocates for emergency needs $1,000.00 1 1 $1,000.00
III-Operational and Administrative costs $43,368.00
III1-Staff Salary/Incentive $26,138.00
Executive Director $550.00 1 12 $6,600.00
Field co-ordinator $120.00 1 12 $1,440.00
FH Project Assistant $150.00 1 12 $1,800.00
RPL Project Assistant $150.00 1 12 $1,800.00
Admin./Finance assistant $150.00 1 12 $1,800.00
Care giver $125.00 2 12 $3,000.00
Psychologist $150.00 1 12 $1,800.00
Non-formal teacher $80.00 1 12 $960.00
Short-term training advisor $350.00 1 3 $1,050.00
English teacher $100.00 1 12 $1,200.00
Computer teacher $100.00 1 12 $1,200.00
Staff insurance $10.00 12 10 $1,200.00
Staff Provident fund $2.00 12 12 $288.00
Staff Recruitment $50.00 8 1 $400.00
Staff Capacity Building $100.00 8 2 $1,600.00
III2-Administration $9,050.00
Office rental $160.00 1 12 $1,920.00
Laptop purchases $2,500.00 1 1 $2,500.00
Office stationery $30.00 1 12 $360.00
Electricity and Water Utilities $60.00 1 12 $720.00
Telephone connection $75.00 1 1 $75.00
Telephone calls and communication $100.00 1 12 $1,200.00
Internet connection and configuration $175.00 1 1 $175.00
Internet monthly fees $125.00 1 12 $1,500.00
Domain name and website hosting $20.00 1 12 $240.00
Maintenance and repairing/spare part $30.00 1 12 $360.00
III3-Transportation $6,680.00
Purchase motorbike $1,750.00 2 1 $3,500.00
Transportation $120.00 1 12 $1,440.00
Field Visits and Travel (gasoline, etc) $100.00 1 12 $1,200.00
Maintenance and repairing/spare part $30.00 1 12 $360.00
Motor/vehicle insurance $60.00 3 1 $180.00
III4-External Audit $1,500.00
Audit fees $1,500.00 1 1 $1,500.00
XI. Acknowledgements
The Sao Sary Foundation would not be able to provide support to any of its programs, children, or families it were not due to the kindness and generosity of its donors and contributors. SSF would like to thank:
Mr. Barton Brooks
Mrs. Dale Edmons
Kerstin Salen
Ms. Brigid Kelly Ms. Nancy Thang Tanja de Raadt
Mr. Uon Vichetr Mrs. Bun Ran Mr. Phy Sophon
Mr. Chea Sothy Ms. Chhae Veasna Ms. Liza Byerley
Mr. Mike Savage Ms. Chum Chan Kosal Sou Bunnath
Mrs. Mam Phanna Mr. In Pagna Photra Mrs. Pon Phanneth
Mr. Seng Sam Ol Mr. Vong Chhim Kampong Speu provincial authorities
© The Sao Sary Foundation 2009
• Loan support to formed self help groups
• Loan support to every family helped to run small businesses at homes/communities
• Loan support to other communities members to prevent them from moneylenders’ traps to keep especially their girls in a place with fully protection.
i.2.4 Reconciliation and Peaceful Living of a at-risk sub-village
• Travel to the Project target area for preparatory phase
• Develop complete sets of data collection forms, database system to keep track process and project progress activities
• Select children to benefit from the Project's scholarship theme (data collection at primary school, community and their families, and school and student materials distribution)
• Conduct medical assessment to ensure their health are able to burden their offered education, quarterly medical checkup, consultation and care
• Monthly pocket money given, monitor & mentor, visit & follow up
• Contact local authorities, relevant/associate entities for public communication, sharing and exchange
• SSF Director/Project Assistance/Philologist works closely with local authorities, especially village leader
• To debate and reconcile gab between the discrimination made so far which lead to isolate the villagers in the sub-village where political discrimination
• Identify target group as households and determine type of support basing on their immediate need
• Conducting either individual intended support household or community economical situation assessment
• and identify family profiles and to assist them in preparation of monthly household planning and budgeting
• Organizing meetings with those households to select whose are interested in the project and form
• them into self help group. Take a lead and supervise of the monthly meeting, saving and investment
• SHG formation and working capital assistance supports to the group and group members.
• Hand pump well drilling and platform founded
• Ceramic/biosand water filters purchase and distribute
• Water and sanitation awareness raising/training conducts to target beneficiaries
• Awareness raising and training to villagers and teenagers and adults about the laws of child labour, human trafficking, human rights, labour law. Moreover, terms of violence, exploitation, abuse and discrimination will be embedding.
• Monitoring processes/visit/follow up and evaluation of supported families
• Preparation and compilation of both narrative and financial reports for submitting to
• funding partner
i.3 Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs)
• Cooperation and collaboration with NGOs and other related/associated institutions and agencies ,
• Do agreement with DoSVAY Kampong Speu provincial agreement (Province level),
• MoU with Ministry of Social Afairs, Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation (MoSAVY)
• Agreement with Department of Education and Sport of Kampong Speu Province
i.4 Publication and dissemination
• Child abuse campaign “Invite Children and Young People to participate in your prevention activities"
• Collect number of individuals "voters" interest to SSF Programmes
• Quarterly progress report briefly and next three month budget preparation and publication/dissemination
• Quarterly newsletter and case study/story written for every project and benefited individual and families and submission/dissemination
• Domain renews, website upgrade and information posting update, accuracy and current
• Six month progress and financial report preparation and publication/dissemination
• Annual glossy compilation and publication/dissemination
ii. Tentative Budget
Requested Amount Quantity Yearly Subtotal
US$140,137.00
I-CHILD PROTECTION PROGRAMME $61,119.00
I1-Educational Sponsorship to at-high risks of being trafficked girls $23,071.00
Residential shelter rents $ 160 1 12 $ 1,920
Electricity and Water utilities $ 100 1 12 $ 1,200
White rice $ 90 1 12 $ 1,080
Vegetable/meat/spice & ingredient/drinking water $ 25 10 12 $ 3,000
Cooking/Kitchen utensils $ 250 1 1 $ 250
Cooking gas/wood/charcoal $ 20 1 12 $ 240
Clothes/hygiene materials/health care $ 10 20 12 $ 2,400
Domestic materials/kits for the residents $ 9 20 12 $ 2,160
Daily pocket money $ 10 20 12 $ 2,400
Extra Private tutoring $ 15 14 12 $ 2,520
School/University fees $ 230 1 2 $ 460
Monthly expenses $ 60 1 12 $ 720
Student furniture $ 15 20 1 $ 300
Dinning table and chairs $ 13 22 1 $ 286
Cleaning supplies $ 30 1 4 $ 120
Farming tools $ 100 1 2 $ 200
Organic Gardening $ 100 1 1 $ 100
Saving contribution $ 5 20 12 $ 1,200
Teaching materials/equipment $ 30 1 12 $ 360
Life-skills training and practicum $ 100 1 12 $ 1,200
Social recreation activities $ 2 20 12 $ 480
Bicycles $40 4 1 $160.00
Bicycle maintenance $ 1 20 12 $ 240
Toilet $ 75 1 1 $ 75
I2-Cerebral Palsy Project $2,736.00
Physiotherapy $228.00 1 12 $2,736.00
I3-Food House Project $27,865.00
Monthly food support $25.00 30 12 $9,000.00
Daily pocket money $10.00 30 12 $3,600.00
Students and School materials $15.00 30 2 $900.00
Ordinary clothes $5.00 30 2 $300.00
Hygiene and domestic materials $8.00 30 12 $2,880.00
Medical/Psycho. Care $5.00 30 12 $1,800.00
Social recreational costs $300.00 1 3 $900.00
Bikes purchase and repair $45.00 10 1 $450.00
Child Abuse campaign $150.00 1 1 $150.00
Restaurant furniture, equipment & materials $1,250.00 1 1 $1,250.00
Refrigerator $350.00 1 1 $350.00
Beverage $7.00 5 1 $35.00
Restaurant rental cost $350.00 1 12 $4,200.00
Electricity and water utilities $120.00 1 12 $1,440.00
Investment capital $250.00 1 1 $250.00
Transportation $10.00 1 12 $120.00
Field Visits and Travel (gasoline, etc) $20.00 1 12 $240.00
I5-Computer Class Project $7,111.00
Desktop computer $400.00 15 1 $6,000.00
Printer LaserJet color $450.00 1 1 $450.00
Computer desks $40.00 15 1 $600.00
Whiteboard $25.00 1 1 $25.00
Markers and rubber $3.00 1 12 $36.00
I6-English Literacy Project $336.00
Whiteboard $25.00 1 1 $25.00
Student tables $25.00 10 1 $250.00
Whiteboard $25.00 1 1 $25.00
Markers and rubber $3.00 1 12 $36.00
II-LIVELIHOOD PROGRAMME $35,650.00
II1-Reconciliation and Peaceful living Project $8,720.00
Student uniforms $15.00 20 2 $600.00
Daily pocket money $10.00 20 12 $2,400.00
Hygiene and health care $5.00 20 12 $1,200.00
Drilling one hand pump well $2,750.00 1 1 $2,750.00
Biosand/Ceramic water filter $15.00 30 1 $450.00
IEC materials for training (paper, markers, etc.) $30.00 1 6 $180.00
snack/water/perdium/allowance $5.00 30 6 $900.00
Transportation and field visit (gasoline, etc.) $20.00 1 12 $240.00
II2-Cottage Industry Program $23,180.00
Fund allocated for supporting to the families $150.00 50 1 $7,500.00
Fund for additional support (loan) $150.00 20 1 $3,000.00
Small business training and refresher $8.00 70 4 $2,240.00
Monthly meeting for planning and budgeting $8.00 70 12 $6,720.00
Teaching materials/equipment $100.00 1 12 $1,200.00
Hygiene/health care $3.00 70 12 $2,520.00
II3-Emergency Aid $3,750.00
Two mosquito nets per household $5.00 70 1 $350.00
Ceramic/Biosand water filters $15.00 40 1 $600.00
Open wells digging $150.00 10 1 $1,500.00
Crop seeds $3.00 100 1 $300.00
Fund allocates for emergency needs $1,000.00 1 1 $1,000.00
III-Operational and Administrative costs $43,368.00
III1-Staff Salary/Incentive $26,138.00
Executive Director $550.00 1 12 $6,600.00
Field co-ordinator $120.00 1 12 $1,440.00
FH Project Assistant $150.00 1 12 $1,800.00
RPL Project Assistant $150.00 1 12 $1,800.00
Admin./Finance assistant $150.00 1 12 $1,800.00
Care giver $125.00 2 12 $3,000.00
Psychologist $150.00 1 12 $1,800.00
Non-formal teacher $80.00 1 12 $960.00
Short-term training advisor $350.00 1 3 $1,050.00
English teacher $100.00 1 12 $1,200.00
Computer teacher $100.00 1 12 $1,200.00
Staff insurance $10.00 12 10 $1,200.00
Staff Provident fund $2.00 12 12 $288.00
Staff Recruitment $50.00 8 1 $400.00
Staff Capacity Building $100.00 8 2 $1,600.00
III2-Administration $9,050.00
Office rental $160.00 1 12 $1,920.00
Laptop purchases $2,500.00 1 1 $2,500.00
Office stationery $30.00 1 12 $360.00
Electricity and Water Utilities $60.00 1 12 $720.00
Telephone connection $75.00 1 1 $75.00
Telephone calls and communication $100.00 1 12 $1,200.00
Internet connection and configuration $175.00 1 1 $175.00
Internet monthly fees $125.00 1 12 $1,500.00
Domain name and website hosting $20.00 1 12 $240.00
Maintenance and repairing/spare part $30.00 1 12 $360.00
III3-Transportation $6,680.00
Purchase motorbike $1,750.00 2 1 $3,500.00
Transportation $120.00 1 12 $1,440.00
Field Visits and Travel (gasoline, etc) $100.00 1 12 $1,200.00
Maintenance and repairing/spare part $30.00 1 12 $360.00
Motor/vehicle insurance $60.00 3 1 $180.00
III4-External Audit $1,500.00
Audit fees $1,500.00 1 1 $1,500.00
XI. Acknowledgements
The Sao Sary Foundation would not be able to provide support to any of its programs, children, or families it were not due to the kindness and generosity of its donors and contributors. SSF would like to thank:
Mr. Barton Brooks
Mrs. Dale Edmons
Kerstin Salen
Ms. Brigid Kelly Ms. Nancy Thang Tanja de Raadt
Mr. Uon Vichetr Mrs. Bun Ran Mr. Phy Sophon
Mr. Chea Sothy Ms. Chhae Veasna Ms. Liza Byerley
Mr. Mike Savage Ms. Chum Chan Kosal Sou Bunnath
Mrs. Mam Phanna Mr. In Pagna Photra Mrs. Pon Phanneth
Mr. Seng Sam Ol Mr. Vong Chhim Kampong Speu provincial authorities
© The Sao Sary Foundation 2009
Friday, February 6, 2009
Maggie, Caren and Rhian visit the Sao Sary Foundation
We had the great opportunity to visit the SSF and live with the young people the organization supports for a few days. We spent this time playing games, teaching English, visiting the local communities and contributing to the website. It was a unique opportunity to see the worthwhile work the organization does, which greatly improves the quality of life of the people it supports.
Games
We played a variety of games with everyone. We tried to choose games that would be easy to demonstrate, learn and remember, especially considering the language barrier. We tried to make them suitable for all ages and abilities so that everyone could join in. For example; Duck Duck Elephant, hand clapping games, skipping, piggy in the middle, French cricket and other ball games
We played ‘what’s the time Mr Wolf?’ after conducting an English class on telling the time. The aim was to reinforce the vocabulary the young people had just learnt, and for fun of course!
Many of the games were just for fun but there was also the chance for improving skills such as teamwork and co ordination. It also allowed for a direct cultural exchange; as we taught them European games, they showed us how to play some Khmer games!
Songs
We tried to choose songs that would be easy to remember so we selected a lot with actions/movement. We also tried to choose songs that would coincide with some of the English they were learning as well as making them fun. For example,
‘’The Hokey Cokey’’, ‘’ Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes’’, ‘’One finger, one thumb’’ and ‘’The Rainbow song’’
‘’The Hokey Cokey’’, ‘’One finger, one thumb’’ and ‘’Heads, Shoulders…’’ both helped to revise the names of body parts and got everybody jumping around! ‘’The Rainbow song’’ helped to revise the colours.
Other activities
We taught some English including; days of the week, months, telling the time, colours, body parts, favourites, likes and dislikes. There was a range of abilities so we tried to make it suitable for everyone – We listened to people read, helped them with writing and pronunciation. We also made paper games to help with spelling, counting and colours.
In general we all felt that being on site at the centre provided a good opportunity for the children to practice any language skills and seek company at any time that suited them.
Dan and Rich come to SSF
Hello from Dan and Rich!
We are two University graduates from the UK who are taking a little time out to see Southeast Asia. We heard about the Sao Sary Foundation through other volunteers and made contact with the organizations Executive Director Mr Vichter through the ‘couch surfing’ website. It happened that we were looking for volunteering opportunities in Cambodia so this seemed like a fantastic organization with which to become involved. We meet with Mr Vichter in Phenom Phen and discussed our potential involvement with the SSF. The next day we found ourselves being ferried towards Kampong Speu, where we stayed at the headquarters of the SSF for one week. Our first impressions upon our arrival were very positive, although being greeted by twenty smiling children was a little overwhelming! We soon settled in and did our best to help out in whatever ways we could.
First we helped to compile individual and family case studies. These case studies serve several purposes. Firstly, to identify weather children are at high risk from trafficking and weather preventative action needs to be taken. Secondly, to help highlight their situations with potential donors in order to secure the funds needed to ensure the safety of those whom seek help from the SSF.
Assisting in the teaching of English was another of our tasks. We attended the English classes that are held every night by Kea Sopheak (livelihood program officer of the SSF). At these classes we helped the children with their pronunciation of English words. We also gave some individual students some one to one time as it is difficult for one teacher to teach many levels at once. We feel that having native English speakers at the centre is a valuable asset for both pupils and teachers a like. It would be wonderful if a volunteer with an English teaching qualification could be found to give some longer term support to the SSF.
Another project that we have been able to help with is the ‘straw mushroom project’. This initiative was the brain child of Kea Sopheak who, as well as teaching English to the kids, is a graduate with an agriculture degree. The idea is to set up an area where a special variety of mushroom can be grown and harvested in the commune. The kids can benefit from this is a couple of ways. Firstly the mushrooms can be harvested every 3 or 4 months and each harvest income brings with it some much needed income. Secondly the kids themselves are involved in implementing the project so they can learn themselves, and take the knowledge home to show their families how to develop similar crops themselves. There are similar projects to this one in the pipeline, but as ever it is a case of finding some generous donors to help start them off since capital is needed to buy the materials initially. We were really glad we could help here; it was very rewarding work, and it’s always great when you are left with such a tangible result.
When back in the UK we are hoping to draw attention to the amazing work of the SSF. It is sad that in this time of global economic crisis charitable organizations like the SSF are also affected and encounter problems with funding. Especially because it is at these times that the valuable contributions of the SSF staff and donors are most valued and appreciated by those whose lives they have improved. Finally we must say thank you to all those at the SSF for giving us this amazing opportunity to help out and best of luck in the future.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Johanna and Nina
We, two German girls who just finished school, are traveling in South East Asia for three month and made contact with Vichetr via CouchSurfing.com and were invited to visit his organization center instantly.
We decided to take a detour to his place for about 4 days and as we arrived we were welcomed warmly.
When Vichetr guided us to several families that are supported by SSF we saw that he and his crew arrange everything perfectly and do despite a large load a very good job. The poorest families in this area, which are struck by fate harshly, receive great, meaningful assistance and help to lead a modest life in dignity.
So we came to the conclusion that in the organization nothing else is needed but money and therefore doing some publication work in Germany and finding new sponsors is the best way to help SSF.
The main focus of attention is definitely on the children, who get the possibility to enjoy their childhood and –most important- receive better future prospects.
Most contact we had with the children housed at the center, of course.
We played several simple games with them always trying to introduce them to a few new English words.
Initially the children could hardly understand us, probably due to our different pronunciation and the bad English lessons they receive at school.
After staying at the center for two days the children asked us to stay longer because they liked our playful way of teaching English so much and so we opted for lengthening our stay for another 5 days.
The following days were amazing: the children with whom initially no communication was possible blossomed out and very soon we could play many games with them without a person translating into Khmer.
They were very inquisitive and practiced what we taught them in their free time very diligently, too.
They made huge progress very quickly and all of us had great fun!
We wish that after our departure these fabulous children will still get the opportunity to improve their English skills in a reasonable but also enjoyable way. That will certainly help them in their later working life.
We hope for many sponsors in the future so that more children and families can be supported more intensively by Vichetr and his family and team, who really sacrifice themselves for their idea of justice and human rights.
It was a great experience for us to get the possibility to attend everyday life in the organization and thus get a deeper impression of real Cambodian life.
Thank you so much and good luck to you: Vichetr and family, the employees and of course the children!
We stay in touch!
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Factbook on Cambodia Sexual Exploitation
Trafficking
Prostituted girls, most of them aged 15 to18 years of age, are found in the Svay Pak red-light district of Cambodia. Many girls are much younger. Most of them are smuggled in from Vietnam and all are bound by contracts, which last from six months to over a year. Svay Pak has the largest number of prostituted Vietnamese girls. ("The Street of Little Flowers," rewritten from 'Children of the Dust,' by MIKEL FLAMM and NGO KIM CUC, Bangkok Post, 23 February 1997)
Many of the prostituted women and children in Cambodia are from Vietnam. (Chris Seper, "Police Sweeps Help Clean Up Child Prostitution," Christian Science Monitor, 8 January 1998)
Vietnamese girls are commonly brought to Phnom Penh, where they are concentrated in a strip 15 km north of the city in an area known as Svay Pak. (Laura Bobak, "For Sale: The Innocence of Cambodia," Ottawa Sun, 24 October 1996)
Methods and Techniques of Traffickers
Unofficial estimates say that there are as many as 15,000 prostituted persons in Phnom Penh, and that up to 35% of them have been smuggled into Cambodia from China or Vietman, mostly from the southwestern provinces of Vietnam (Long An, An Giang, Song Be, Kien Giang, Dong Thap, Can Tho and Ho Chi Minh City). Brothel owners pay traffickers from US$350 to $450 (8,750 to 11,250 baht) for each attractive Vietnamese virgin 16 years or younger. Non-virgins and those considered less beautiful are sold from $150 to $170 each (3,750 to 4,250 baht). ("Children of the dust," rewritten from 'Children of the Dust,' by MIKEL FLAMM and NGO KIM CUC, Bangkok Post, 23 February 1997)
Girls bound by contacts to a brother owner have their debt to the brothel owner subtracted from the number of customers serviced. It may take from six months to a year or more to work off this debt. The fees that have been paid to their families, trafficking agents, and border guards compound the total debt. Once all debts are paid off, the prostituted person makes from $2 to $3 [50 to 75 baht] per customer, this is after the brother owner has taken their own cut. ("The Street of Little Flowers," rewritten from 'Children of the Dust,' by MIKEL FLAMM and NGO KIM CUC, Bangkok Post, 23 February 1997)
Virgins, who have been sold to brothels by trafficking agents, are confined to the brothel or a hotel room until the first client comes. Due to the belief that sex with a virgin has rejuvenating properties, her first client is charged an expensive amount. Advertised as "special commodities," virgins are also attractive in that they are less likely to have AIDS or other sexually transmitted diseases. The customer pays from $300 to $400 (7,500 to 10,000 baht) to have sex with her for one week in a local hotel chosen by the brothel owner. ("Children of the dust," rewritten from 'Children of the Dust,' by MIKEL FLAMM and NGO KIM CUC, Bangkok Post, 23 February 1997)
When recruited by brokers in a village, the girls' families are told they will be employed and be able to send money home. After the girls are purchased, usually for about $150, they are brought to a hotel room or safe house where they are kept until they can be sold to their first buyer for $300 to $400 for a week. But after this, the girl is considered "used goods" and her value drops dramatically to as little as $2 per sexual transaction. (Laura Bobak, "For Sale: The Innocence of Cambodia," Ottawa Sun, 24 October 1996)
The enslaved girls must stay until their debt to their purchasers is paid off, or face beatings. This is difficult, if not impossible, since the owners consider the girls indebted to to them for their constantly mounting expenses for food, clothing, medical costs and abortions. As a result, a brothel owner will hold a girl prisoner until she becomes too old or too ill to attract customers. (Laura Bobak, "For Sale: The Innocence of Cambodia," Ottawa Sun, 24 October 1996)
A trafficking network, operating under protection from local authorities, was discovered by human rights workers in Cambodia. For at least two years in Koh Kong province the network trafficked hundreds of children a month into Trat province, Thailand. The children are sold for $70 each. Some children were drugged and forced into prostitution. Other children who were sent to work on fishing boats were often arbitrarily tossed overboard to drown. ("Child slavery ring uncovered in Cambodia," Associated Foreign Press, 19 December 1997)
Policy and Law
A law was passed in January 1997 to curb trafficking in women, with fines of up to $12,000 and prison sentences of up to 20 years for pimps and brothel owners. No arrests have yet been made. (Debra Boyce, "Rescued Prostitutes Present Theatre of Life," The World Congress Against the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children, 30 July 1997)
Following the beating death of a 15-year-old girl in a brothel in the Svay Por district of Battambang on September 21, 1995, local and provincial police conducted a series of raids in the area. 26 brothels were searched and 236 prostituted women detained, along with 34 persons operating the brothels. 62 girls were under 18 and 75 said they were either sold or forced into the business. 40 of those forced into prostitution against their will were minors. Nearly all of the underage girls were afraid of the brothel owners and refused to press charges. Consequently, 11 of the 34 brothel employees were released without charge. However, 12 were released on bail, charged with trafficking of underage minors for prostitution and illegal detainmen. ("The Street of Little Flowers," rewritten from 'Children of the Dust,' by MIKEL FLAMM and NGO KIM CUC, Bangkok Post, 23 February 1997)
Official Collaboration and Corruption
Many politicians and their networks are involved in the trafficking business - indirectly or directly. (Kritaya Archavanitkul of the Institute for Population and Social Research at Mahidol University, Cameron W. Barr, "Asia Traffickers Keep Girls in Sexual Servitude, Criminal groups deceive and lure poor villagers," Christian Science Monitor, 22 August 1997)
The governor if Kok Kong Province recently banned human rights investigators who raided a trafficking ring without his permission. Cambodia’s National Assembly called for the governor to resign, as he is suspected of supporting brothel rings there. Some traffickers are protected at high governmental levels. (Chris Seper, "Police Sweeps Help Clean Up Child Prostitution," Christian Science Monitor, 8 January 1998)
Cases
45 kidnapped women and children were freed after a raid on a trafficking ring in Kok Kong Province, Cambodia. (Chris Seper, "Police Sweeps Help Clean Up Child Prostitution," Christian Science Monitor, 8 January 1998)
One trafficker, Chay Heang, arrested by police in Sihanoukville had 14 Cambodian women and children who were to be trafficked to Thailand for the purpose of sexual exploitation. Police say Heang is a minor criminal; he is connected to Chea Sarith an alleged major trafficker who lives in Koh Kong Province near the Thai border. (Chris Seper, "Police Sweeps Help Clean Up Child Prostitution," Christian Science Monitor, 8 January 1998)
In one village in Chiang Rai, families sold 61 daughters, most between 13 or 14 years old, into prostitution, for about $480 each, an advance of her "future earnings". At least 13 of the women were sent to brothels in Japan, or along the Thai/Malaysia border. Some of the girls have already contracted AIDS and died. The girls spend months and years enslaved to pay off the advance given to their parents. (7 year study, beginning mid1980s, Cameron W. Barr, "Asia Traffickers Keep Girls in Sexual Servitude, Criminal groups deceive and lure poor villagers," Christian Science Monitor, 22 August 1997)
Prostitution
Researchers found 87% of young men were having sex with their girlfriends or prostitutes; 10% were having sex with other males. (Laura Bobak, "For Sale: The Innocence of Cambodia, Facts and Figures," Ottawa Sun, 24 October 1996)
There are 10,000 to 20,000 women and children in prostitution in Phnom Penh, a city of 1 million. Massage parlors and karaoke bars are frequently fronts for prostitution rings. (Chris Seper, "Police Sweeps Help Clean Up Child Prostitution," Christian Science Monitor, 8 January 1998)
Prostitution has become a "fixture of urban life" in Cambodia. (Laura Bobak, "For Sale: The Innocence of Cambodia," Ottawa Sun, 24 October 1996)
Tuol Kok district is Phnom Penh is Cambodia’s most well-known light district. (Chris Seper, "Police Sweeps Help Clean Up Child Prostitution," Christian Science Monitor, 8 January 1998)
In 1992, the average age of prostituted persons was 18. This dropped to 15 years by April 1993, and a follow-up study in February 1994 suggested that 35% of the persons engaged in prostitution were under the age of 18, according to the Cambodian Women's Development Association (CWDA). By March 1995, minors (aged 12 to 17 years old) comprised nearly 31% of prostituted persons in Phnom Penh and 11 other provinces, according to a survey conducted by the Human Rights Vigilance of Cambodia. ("Children of the dust," rewritten from 'Children of the Dust,' by MIKEL FLAMM and NGO KIM CUC, Bangkok Post, 23 February 1997)
35% of prostitutes in Cambodia are under the age of 18. (Tim Seaman, of the human rights organisation Licadho, Debra Boyce, "Rescued Prostitutes Present Theatre of Life," The World Congress Against the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children, 30 July 1997)
The Philippines and Sri Lanka are favorite destinations for men seeking to have intercourse with young boys. (Laura Bobak, "For Sale: The Innocence of Cambodia," Ottawa Sun, 24 October 1996)
There is a lower demand for boy prostitutes in Cambodia, sometimes an older boy will obtain youngsters for foreign customers, while other boys are independent. (Laura Bobak, "For Sale: The Innocence of Cambodia," Ottawa Sun, 24 October 1996)
Many young prostituted boys live on the streets and at night wait for the male buyers who will pay $2 to $5 for sex. (Laura Bobak, "For Sale: The Innocence of Cambodia," Ottawa Sun, 24 October 1996)
Children as young as four have been sold into the sex industry in Cambodia. (EPCAT, Laura Bobak, "For Sale: The Innocence of Cambodia," Ottawa Sun, 24 October 1996)
Minors, some as young as seven, constitute more than 25% of the prostitutes in Cambodia’s sex industry, (Joe Cochrane, "Child’s tragedy raises profile of rights march," South China Morning Post, 2 February 1998)
Prostitution was outlawed in Cambodia from 1975 to 1979 during the rule of the Khmer Rouge, but it resurfaced in the 1980s and peaked between 1991 and 1993 during the UNTAC years when many of the 22,000 UN personnel stationed in Cambodia frequented the nation's numerous brothels. ("Children of the dust," rewritten from 'Children of the Dust,' by MIKEL FLAMM and NGO KIM CUC, Bangkok Post, 23 February 1997)
The UN soldiers presence in Cambodia caused the number of prostitutes to rise to an estimated 20,000 at the peak. After their departure, the number dropped to 10,000 to 15,000. (UNICEF report, Laura Bobak, "For Sale: The Innocence of Cambodia," Ottawa Sun, 24 October 1996)
The local industry for sexually exploited children is exploding for two reasons: Many Khmer -- and other Asian men -- believe sex with a virgin will renew their vigor and youth, and the fear of contracting HIV is fuelling a demand for younger and younger virgins. (Laura Bobak, "For Sale: The Innocence of Cambodia," Ottawa Sun, 24 October 1996)
A study of more than 6,000 prostituted girls found that one-third of prostitutes in Phnom Penh and Battanbang were between the age of 12 and 17. (Human Rights Vigilance of Cambodia, Laura Bobak, "For Sale: The Innocence of Cambodia," Ottawa Sun, 24 October 1996)
Prostitution Tourism
Partially as a result of the publicity of the prevalence of HIV/AIDS in Thailand, Cambodia, India and the Dominican Republic have emerged as new travel destinations for pedophiles in the 1990s. (Laura Bobak, "For Sale: The Innocence of Cambodia," Ottawa Sun, 24 October 1996)
Health and Well-being
Cambodia's flourishing sex industry had its beginning in the early 1990s, when tens of thousands of UN "blue helmet" peacekeepers and civilian administrators descended here in an operation known as UNTAC (United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia), which was designed to end a long-running civil war and pave the way for multiparty elections. On election day last month, when Prime Minister Hun Sen was asked what would be UNTAC's legacy, he replied: "AIDS." (Keith B. Richburg," Spreading HIV Threatens Cambodia Government Hard Pressed to Respond," Washington Post Foreign Service, Sunday, August 9, 1998)
Visiting prostitutes has become a common and accepted male pastime in Cambodia. As a result men have become the vectors for AIDS. (Keith B. Richburg, "Spreading HIV Threatens Cambodia Government Hard Pressed to Respond," Washington Post Foreign Service, Sunday, August 9, 1998)
40-50% the prostitutes in Cambodian are HIV positive. (Ministry of Health, Debra Boyce, "Rescued Prostitutes Present Theatre of Life," The World Congress Against the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children, 30 July 1997)
60% of the young prostitutes interviewed in Cambodia in June 1995 were infected with everything from sores and warts to gonorrhea. (Youth With A Mission, Laura Bobak, "For Sale: The Innocence of Cambodia," Ottawa Sun, 24 October 1996)
Prostitutes have HIV infection rates of at least 40%, but the figure could be much higher. (Laura Bobak, "For Sale: The Innocence of Cambodia," Ottawa Sun, 24 October 1996)
Prostituted girls endure miserable conditions and abuse, including beatings, cramped quarters, inadequate food and sleep, and little to no protection against sexually transmitted diseases. (Laura Bobak, "For Sale: The Innocence of Cambodia," Ottawa Sun, 24 October 1996)
The effect of prostitution on children and their families is addressed in a Situation Report released by Unicef's Cambodia office. "There is little detailed research on the personal trauma of child prostitutes as a result of their situation and the effects of their situation on their relationships with their families. The personal trauma and the loss of self-esteem to a child prostitute brought about by constant degradation is difficult to imagine," the report said. ("The Street of Little Flowers," rewritten from 'Children of the Dust,' by MIKEL FLAMM and NGO KIM CUC, Bangkok Post, 23 February 1997)
Cases
Ohn, a prostituted boy, said about half of the male buyers are foreigners and half are locals. He prefers the foreign customers because they pay more -- the most he ever received was $15. (Laura Bobak, "For Sale: The Innocence of Cambodia," Ottawa Sun, 24 October 1996)
In 1994 Sophak, a 16 year old girl from Cambodia was sold into prostitution to the owner of a nightclub in Battambang City by her mother, who suffered a "losing streak" during her compulsive gambling. She was raped by the owner and others and then escaped. She returned to her home, but fled, fearing she would be resold. (Laura Bobak, "For Sale: The Innocence of Cambodia," Ottawa Sun, 24 October 1996)
In May 1997, Makara was sold to a brothel in Tuol Kork for about $200 by a broker in her hometown in Kompong Cham, 200 km northeast of Phnom Penh. Makara's virginity was purchased by a man who bought her on contract. The contract made her his exclusive sex slave for a period of a month. He abused her so brutally that she ran away. Her current brothel owner paid off her $200 debt to the first brothel then bought her, and now she is indebted to them. Her male buyers, on average 7 each night, pay $2 for intercourse. (Laura Bobak, "For Sale: The Innocence of Cambodia," Ottawa Sun, 24 October 1996)
A Cambodian girl, who awoke in a brothel in Phnom Penh, said that her aunt drugged her into unconsciousness and sold her to a brothel owner. When she refused to service male buyers she was drugged again, taken to a hotel and raped by several men. (Cameron W. Barr, "Asia Traffickers Keep Girls in Sexual Servitude, Criminal groups deceive and lure poor villagers," Christian Science Monitor, 22 August 1997)
A lieutenant in the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces is one brothel owner. He claims to enslave the girls because he cannot make enough money in his job in the Armed Forces. (Laura Bobak, "For Sale: The Innocence of Cambodia," Ottawa Sun, 24 October 1996)
Meas, a 16-year-old orphan from Vietnam, was sold to a brothel in Phnom Penh by her neighbor for $400. She was starved and beaten until she complied to having sex with eight men a day. When she was found by police, they took her life savings 30,000 riel, roughly US$8.50. (Chris Seper, "Police Sweeps Help Clean Up Child Prostitution," Christian Science Monitor, 8 January 1998)
Offical Response and Action
Police raided 40 brothels, including one where a pimp murdered a young girl. 232 prostituted girls in the Saem brothel were aged 14 to 20. (Debra Boyce, "Rescued Prostitutes Present Theatre of Life," The World Congress Against the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children, 30 July 1997)
In a two-month period in 1997, there were more than 500 prostituted women and girls rescued and 20 traffickers arrested. (Chris Seper, "Police Sweeps Help Clean Up Child Prostitution," Christian Science Monitor 8 January 1998)
Pornography
Official Response and Action
Cambodian leader, Hun Sen, has ordered cable television providers to stop broadcasting pornography saying that it undermined government's efforts to fight AIDS. (Henry Tang, BBC London, 5 December 1997)
80% of drawings in the Cambodian media, which feature women, are obscene. More than 50% of the drawings depict women as sex objects. In contrast, women are the subjects of only 7% of stories. In one newspaper, Koh Santepheap (Island of Peace), more than half of the stories about women included pornographic serials. (Research findings, Women’s Media Center of Cambodia, AFP, 19 February 1998)
Prostituted girls, most of them aged 15 to18 years of age, are found in the Svay Pak red-light district of Cambodia. Many girls are much younger. Most of them are smuggled in from Vietnam and all are bound by contracts, which last from six months to over a year. Svay Pak has the largest number of prostituted Vietnamese girls. ("The Street of Little Flowers," rewritten from 'Children of the Dust,' by MIKEL FLAMM and NGO KIM CUC, Bangkok Post, 23 February 1997)
Many of the prostituted women and children in Cambodia are from Vietnam. (Chris Seper, "Police Sweeps Help Clean Up Child Prostitution," Christian Science Monitor, 8 January 1998)
Vietnamese girls are commonly brought to Phnom Penh, where they are concentrated in a strip 15 km north of the city in an area known as Svay Pak. (Laura Bobak, "For Sale: The Innocence of Cambodia," Ottawa Sun, 24 October 1996)
Methods and Techniques of Traffickers
Unofficial estimates say that there are as many as 15,000 prostituted persons in Phnom Penh, and that up to 35% of them have been smuggled into Cambodia from China or Vietman, mostly from the southwestern provinces of Vietnam (Long An, An Giang, Song Be, Kien Giang, Dong Thap, Can Tho and Ho Chi Minh City). Brothel owners pay traffickers from US$350 to $450 (8,750 to 11,250 baht) for each attractive Vietnamese virgin 16 years or younger. Non-virgins and those considered less beautiful are sold from $150 to $170 each (3,750 to 4,250 baht). ("Children of the dust," rewritten from 'Children of the Dust,' by MIKEL FLAMM and NGO KIM CUC, Bangkok Post, 23 February 1997)
Girls bound by contacts to a brother owner have their debt to the brothel owner subtracted from the number of customers serviced. It may take from six months to a year or more to work off this debt. The fees that have been paid to their families, trafficking agents, and border guards compound the total debt. Once all debts are paid off, the prostituted person makes from $2 to $3 [50 to 75 baht] per customer, this is after the brother owner has taken their own cut. ("The Street of Little Flowers," rewritten from 'Children of the Dust,' by MIKEL FLAMM and NGO KIM CUC, Bangkok Post, 23 February 1997)
Virgins, who have been sold to brothels by trafficking agents, are confined to the brothel or a hotel room until the first client comes. Due to the belief that sex with a virgin has rejuvenating properties, her first client is charged an expensive amount. Advertised as "special commodities," virgins are also attractive in that they are less likely to have AIDS or other sexually transmitted diseases. The customer pays from $300 to $400 (7,500 to 10,000 baht) to have sex with her for one week in a local hotel chosen by the brothel owner. ("Children of the dust," rewritten from 'Children of the Dust,' by MIKEL FLAMM and NGO KIM CUC, Bangkok Post, 23 February 1997)
When recruited by brokers in a village, the girls' families are told they will be employed and be able to send money home. After the girls are purchased, usually for about $150, they are brought to a hotel room or safe house where they are kept until they can be sold to their first buyer for $300 to $400 for a week. But after this, the girl is considered "used goods" and her value drops dramatically to as little as $2 per sexual transaction. (Laura Bobak, "For Sale: The Innocence of Cambodia," Ottawa Sun, 24 October 1996)
The enslaved girls must stay until their debt to their purchasers is paid off, or face beatings. This is difficult, if not impossible, since the owners consider the girls indebted to to them for their constantly mounting expenses for food, clothing, medical costs and abortions. As a result, a brothel owner will hold a girl prisoner until she becomes too old or too ill to attract customers. (Laura Bobak, "For Sale: The Innocence of Cambodia," Ottawa Sun, 24 October 1996)
A trafficking network, operating under protection from local authorities, was discovered by human rights workers in Cambodia. For at least two years in Koh Kong province the network trafficked hundreds of children a month into Trat province, Thailand. The children are sold for $70 each. Some children were drugged and forced into prostitution. Other children who were sent to work on fishing boats were often arbitrarily tossed overboard to drown. ("Child slavery ring uncovered in Cambodia," Associated Foreign Press, 19 December 1997)
Policy and Law
A law was passed in January 1997 to curb trafficking in women, with fines of up to $12,000 and prison sentences of up to 20 years for pimps and brothel owners. No arrests have yet been made. (Debra Boyce, "Rescued Prostitutes Present Theatre of Life," The World Congress Against the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children, 30 July 1997)
Following the beating death of a 15-year-old girl in a brothel in the Svay Por district of Battambang on September 21, 1995, local and provincial police conducted a series of raids in the area. 26 brothels were searched and 236 prostituted women detained, along with 34 persons operating the brothels. 62 girls were under 18 and 75 said they were either sold or forced into the business. 40 of those forced into prostitution against their will were minors. Nearly all of the underage girls were afraid of the brothel owners and refused to press charges. Consequently, 11 of the 34 brothel employees were released without charge. However, 12 were released on bail, charged with trafficking of underage minors for prostitution and illegal detainmen. ("The Street of Little Flowers," rewritten from 'Children of the Dust,' by MIKEL FLAMM and NGO KIM CUC, Bangkok Post, 23 February 1997)
Official Collaboration and Corruption
Many politicians and their networks are involved in the trafficking business - indirectly or directly. (Kritaya Archavanitkul of the Institute for Population and Social Research at Mahidol University, Cameron W. Barr, "Asia Traffickers Keep Girls in Sexual Servitude, Criminal groups deceive and lure poor villagers," Christian Science Monitor, 22 August 1997)
The governor if Kok Kong Province recently banned human rights investigators who raided a trafficking ring without his permission. Cambodia’s National Assembly called for the governor to resign, as he is suspected of supporting brothel rings there. Some traffickers are protected at high governmental levels. (Chris Seper, "Police Sweeps Help Clean Up Child Prostitution," Christian Science Monitor, 8 January 1998)
Cases
45 kidnapped women and children were freed after a raid on a trafficking ring in Kok Kong Province, Cambodia. (Chris Seper, "Police Sweeps Help Clean Up Child Prostitution," Christian Science Monitor, 8 January 1998)
One trafficker, Chay Heang, arrested by police in Sihanoukville had 14 Cambodian women and children who were to be trafficked to Thailand for the purpose of sexual exploitation. Police say Heang is a minor criminal; he is connected to Chea Sarith an alleged major trafficker who lives in Koh Kong Province near the Thai border. (Chris Seper, "Police Sweeps Help Clean Up Child Prostitution," Christian Science Monitor, 8 January 1998)
In one village in Chiang Rai, families sold 61 daughters, most between 13 or 14 years old, into prostitution, for about $480 each, an advance of her "future earnings". At least 13 of the women were sent to brothels in Japan, or along the Thai/Malaysia border. Some of the girls have already contracted AIDS and died. The girls spend months and years enslaved to pay off the advance given to their parents. (7 year study, beginning mid1980s, Cameron W. Barr, "Asia Traffickers Keep Girls in Sexual Servitude, Criminal groups deceive and lure poor villagers," Christian Science Monitor, 22 August 1997)
Prostitution
Researchers found 87% of young men were having sex with their girlfriends or prostitutes; 10% were having sex with other males. (Laura Bobak, "For Sale: The Innocence of Cambodia, Facts and Figures," Ottawa Sun, 24 October 1996)
There are 10,000 to 20,000 women and children in prostitution in Phnom Penh, a city of 1 million. Massage parlors and karaoke bars are frequently fronts for prostitution rings. (Chris Seper, "Police Sweeps Help Clean Up Child Prostitution," Christian Science Monitor, 8 January 1998)
Prostitution has become a "fixture of urban life" in Cambodia. (Laura Bobak, "For Sale: The Innocence of Cambodia," Ottawa Sun, 24 October 1996)
Tuol Kok district is Phnom Penh is Cambodia’s most well-known light district. (Chris Seper, "Police Sweeps Help Clean Up Child Prostitution," Christian Science Monitor, 8 January 1998)
In 1992, the average age of prostituted persons was 18. This dropped to 15 years by April 1993, and a follow-up study in February 1994 suggested that 35% of the persons engaged in prostitution were under the age of 18, according to the Cambodian Women's Development Association (CWDA). By March 1995, minors (aged 12 to 17 years old) comprised nearly 31% of prostituted persons in Phnom Penh and 11 other provinces, according to a survey conducted by the Human Rights Vigilance of Cambodia. ("Children of the dust," rewritten from 'Children of the Dust,' by MIKEL FLAMM and NGO KIM CUC, Bangkok Post, 23 February 1997)
35% of prostitutes in Cambodia are under the age of 18. (Tim Seaman, of the human rights organisation Licadho, Debra Boyce, "Rescued Prostitutes Present Theatre of Life," The World Congress Against the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children, 30 July 1997)
The Philippines and Sri Lanka are favorite destinations for men seeking to have intercourse with young boys. (Laura Bobak, "For Sale: The Innocence of Cambodia," Ottawa Sun, 24 October 1996)
There is a lower demand for boy prostitutes in Cambodia, sometimes an older boy will obtain youngsters for foreign customers, while other boys are independent. (Laura Bobak, "For Sale: The Innocence of Cambodia," Ottawa Sun, 24 October 1996)
Many young prostituted boys live on the streets and at night wait for the male buyers who will pay $2 to $5 for sex. (Laura Bobak, "For Sale: The Innocence of Cambodia," Ottawa Sun, 24 October 1996)
Children as young as four have been sold into the sex industry in Cambodia. (EPCAT, Laura Bobak, "For Sale: The Innocence of Cambodia," Ottawa Sun, 24 October 1996)
Minors, some as young as seven, constitute more than 25% of the prostitutes in Cambodia’s sex industry, (Joe Cochrane, "Child’s tragedy raises profile of rights march," South China Morning Post, 2 February 1998)
Prostitution was outlawed in Cambodia from 1975 to 1979 during the rule of the Khmer Rouge, but it resurfaced in the 1980s and peaked between 1991 and 1993 during the UNTAC years when many of the 22,000 UN personnel stationed in Cambodia frequented the nation's numerous brothels. ("Children of the dust," rewritten from 'Children of the Dust,' by MIKEL FLAMM and NGO KIM CUC, Bangkok Post, 23 February 1997)
The UN soldiers presence in Cambodia caused the number of prostitutes to rise to an estimated 20,000 at the peak. After their departure, the number dropped to 10,000 to 15,000. (UNICEF report, Laura Bobak, "For Sale: The Innocence of Cambodia," Ottawa Sun, 24 October 1996)
The local industry for sexually exploited children is exploding for two reasons: Many Khmer -- and other Asian men -- believe sex with a virgin will renew their vigor and youth, and the fear of contracting HIV is fuelling a demand for younger and younger virgins. (Laura Bobak, "For Sale: The Innocence of Cambodia," Ottawa Sun, 24 October 1996)
A study of more than 6,000 prostituted girls found that one-third of prostitutes in Phnom Penh and Battanbang were between the age of 12 and 17. (Human Rights Vigilance of Cambodia, Laura Bobak, "For Sale: The Innocence of Cambodia," Ottawa Sun, 24 October 1996)
Prostitution Tourism
Partially as a result of the publicity of the prevalence of HIV/AIDS in Thailand, Cambodia, India and the Dominican Republic have emerged as new travel destinations for pedophiles in the 1990s. (Laura Bobak, "For Sale: The Innocence of Cambodia," Ottawa Sun, 24 October 1996)
Health and Well-being
Cambodia's flourishing sex industry had its beginning in the early 1990s, when tens of thousands of UN "blue helmet" peacekeepers and civilian administrators descended here in an operation known as UNTAC (United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia), which was designed to end a long-running civil war and pave the way for multiparty elections. On election day last month, when Prime Minister Hun Sen was asked what would be UNTAC's legacy, he replied: "AIDS." (Keith B. Richburg," Spreading HIV Threatens Cambodia Government Hard Pressed to Respond," Washington Post Foreign Service, Sunday, August 9, 1998)
Visiting prostitutes has become a common and accepted male pastime in Cambodia. As a result men have become the vectors for AIDS. (Keith B. Richburg, "Spreading HIV Threatens Cambodia Government Hard Pressed to Respond," Washington Post Foreign Service, Sunday, August 9, 1998)
40-50% the prostitutes in Cambodian are HIV positive. (Ministry of Health, Debra Boyce, "Rescued Prostitutes Present Theatre of Life," The World Congress Against the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children, 30 July 1997)
60% of the young prostitutes interviewed in Cambodia in June 1995 were infected with everything from sores and warts to gonorrhea. (Youth With A Mission, Laura Bobak, "For Sale: The Innocence of Cambodia," Ottawa Sun, 24 October 1996)
Prostitutes have HIV infection rates of at least 40%, but the figure could be much higher. (Laura Bobak, "For Sale: The Innocence of Cambodia," Ottawa Sun, 24 October 1996)
Prostituted girls endure miserable conditions and abuse, including beatings, cramped quarters, inadequate food and sleep, and little to no protection against sexually transmitted diseases. (Laura Bobak, "For Sale: The Innocence of Cambodia," Ottawa Sun, 24 October 1996)
The effect of prostitution on children and their families is addressed in a Situation Report released by Unicef's Cambodia office. "There is little detailed research on the personal trauma of child prostitutes as a result of their situation and the effects of their situation on their relationships with their families. The personal trauma and the loss of self-esteem to a child prostitute brought about by constant degradation is difficult to imagine," the report said. ("The Street of Little Flowers," rewritten from 'Children of the Dust,' by MIKEL FLAMM and NGO KIM CUC, Bangkok Post, 23 February 1997)
Cases
Ohn, a prostituted boy, said about half of the male buyers are foreigners and half are locals. He prefers the foreign customers because they pay more -- the most he ever received was $15. (Laura Bobak, "For Sale: The Innocence of Cambodia," Ottawa Sun, 24 October 1996)
In 1994 Sophak, a 16 year old girl from Cambodia was sold into prostitution to the owner of a nightclub in Battambang City by her mother, who suffered a "losing streak" during her compulsive gambling. She was raped by the owner and others and then escaped. She returned to her home, but fled, fearing she would be resold. (Laura Bobak, "For Sale: The Innocence of Cambodia," Ottawa Sun, 24 October 1996)
In May 1997, Makara was sold to a brothel in Tuol Kork for about $200 by a broker in her hometown in Kompong Cham, 200 km northeast of Phnom Penh. Makara's virginity was purchased by a man who bought her on contract. The contract made her his exclusive sex slave for a period of a month. He abused her so brutally that she ran away. Her current brothel owner paid off her $200 debt to the first brothel then bought her, and now she is indebted to them. Her male buyers, on average 7 each night, pay $2 for intercourse. (Laura Bobak, "For Sale: The Innocence of Cambodia," Ottawa Sun, 24 October 1996)
A Cambodian girl, who awoke in a brothel in Phnom Penh, said that her aunt drugged her into unconsciousness and sold her to a brothel owner. When she refused to service male buyers she was drugged again, taken to a hotel and raped by several men. (Cameron W. Barr, "Asia Traffickers Keep Girls in Sexual Servitude, Criminal groups deceive and lure poor villagers," Christian Science Monitor, 22 August 1997)
A lieutenant in the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces is one brothel owner. He claims to enslave the girls because he cannot make enough money in his job in the Armed Forces. (Laura Bobak, "For Sale: The Innocence of Cambodia," Ottawa Sun, 24 October 1996)
Meas, a 16-year-old orphan from Vietnam, was sold to a brothel in Phnom Penh by her neighbor for $400. She was starved and beaten until she complied to having sex with eight men a day. When she was found by police, they took her life savings 30,000 riel, roughly US$8.50. (Chris Seper, "Police Sweeps Help Clean Up Child Prostitution," Christian Science Monitor, 8 January 1998)
Offical Response and Action
Police raided 40 brothels, including one where a pimp murdered a young girl. 232 prostituted girls in the Saem brothel were aged 14 to 20. (Debra Boyce, "Rescued Prostitutes Present Theatre of Life," The World Congress Against the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children, 30 July 1997)
In a two-month period in 1997, there were more than 500 prostituted women and girls rescued and 20 traffickers arrested. (Chris Seper, "Police Sweeps Help Clean Up Child Prostitution," Christian Science Monitor 8 January 1998)
Pornography
Official Response and Action
Cambodian leader, Hun Sen, has ordered cable television providers to stop broadcasting pornography saying that it undermined government's efforts to fight AIDS. (Henry Tang, BBC London, 5 December 1997)
80% of drawings in the Cambodian media, which feature women, are obscene. More than 50% of the drawings depict women as sex objects. In contrast, women are the subjects of only 7% of stories. In one newspaper, Koh Santepheap (Island of Peace), more than half of the stories about women included pornographic serials. (Research findings, Women’s Media Center of Cambodia, AFP, 19 February 1998)
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
some words from Ras & Lin
Vichetr is a person with his heart in the right place. He is helping the poorest people in Cambodia. We were invited to stay in his house with his family and we tried to help him with some of his work. We hope he can continue to do his work trough his organisation and if we are able to helphim, we will.
Vichetr we wish you and your family all the best.
Greetings Ras & Lin
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