Supporting street children in Cambodia

There are many thousands of street children in Cambodia’s capital, Phnom Penh. Homeless and vulnerable, street children and their families are at high risk of exploitation and physical and emotional abuse.

Many suffer psychological distress, stigma and isolation, violence, health problems due to poverty, poor nutrition, contaminated water, poor sanitation, and many, including children, are forced into the sex trade.

Children attending government schools in Cambodia are often charged informal fees. Although these can be minimal, they do prevent the poorest families from sending their children to school and so limit future opportunities for those children. This cycle keeps generations of Cambodian families trapped in poverty, with limited choice but to send their children to work on the streets.

Y Care International has been working with the Cambodia YMCA, an emerging organisation, to provide much needed support to street children in Phnom Penh.

How we have helped
The two-year project aimed to address the social, economic and educational needs of street children in three districts of Phnom Penh. The project provided street children with non-formal education to improve their literacy, as well as a physical and emotional health programme.

Through this project, street children were enabled to attend school and receive an education that will broaden their livelihoods opportunities later in life and allow them to break the cycle of extreme poverty in their families. They have also received counselling to support them through any past traumatic experiences and have been able to take part in extra curricular activities, such as sports and excursions so that they can relieve the stress of their daily lives.

What we have achieved
The project has reached 280 street children in total and has:

• increased literacy levels for those street children through the provision of a non-formal education programme,
• increased physical and emotional health of those street children through the provision of counselling and recreational activities.