Soth Theara age 16 years old.
Theara is a sixteen-year-old boy. Before moving to the Centre for Child Development, Theara and his five siblings lived in the slums of Phnom Penh. The children had difficult lives; their mother had died early on, and their father, an alcoholic, was unable to provide enough food or shelter for them. As a result, Theara and his siblings were often left to fend for themselves, begging and scavenging for food and protecting each from the many dangers of living on the streets. After learning of his conditions through the Street-based Program, CCD staff brought Theara and three of his siblings to live in the Centre. Unfortunately, because of limited resources,
CCD was unable to bring all six children to live in the Centre. Theara is lucky in that a private member of his district community sponsors his education. As a result, he is able to attend a private school to study Khmer and English. Theara is able to speak English very well. In the future, he wants to be an English-Khmer translator.
Lim Heng age 16 years old
Lim Heng is a sixteen-year-old boy from Phnom Penh. When he was younger, his parents separated. Community leaders refused to allow either parent to retain custody of Lim Heng or his two siblings because neither had a house to raise the children in. As a result, the community referred him with her brother to the Centre for Child Development. While his father, a tuk tuk driver, is able to visit him at least once a week, Lim Heng's mother is not able to visit as often. At times, Lim Heng's mother lives in Phnom Penh; however, she must often travel to other provinces in Cambodia to find work. Lim Heng is a very clever boy. He is currently studying at a Grade 9 level. He loves to use the computer and the Internet.
younger children in the Centre. He often acts as their big brother, teaching them how to use the Computer and helping them with their studies. Lim Heng enjoys attending workshops and conventions about child protection, domestic violence, human rights, and the rights of the child as he is now a leader of (CAN) Child Advocacy Network, he wants to learn more about how to help other children in situations similar to his own. In the future, Lim Heng wants to be a teacher.
Phal Sreymom age 14 years old.
Phal Srey Mom is a 14 year old girl from Phnom Penh's Borei Keila slum. Srey Mom has had a very difficult childhood. Her father died from HIV/AIDS, leaving her mother, who also has HIV/AIDS, to take care of Srey Mom and her six siblings. After her father's death, Srey Mom's mother re-married. Unfortunately, however, Srey Mom's relationship with her stepfather was extremely abusive. He beat and attempted to rape Srey Mom several times. Under such living conditions, Srey Mom was unable to attend school; she was forced to work to help provide for her family.After learning about Srey Mom's circumstances through CCASVA Street-based Program,
staff members from the Centre for Child Development contacted local authorities in order to bring Srey Mom to stay at the Centre. Since moving to CCD, Srey Mom began attending public school (Grade 1). She is now studying at a Grade 6 level. Srey Mom enjoys dancing, cooking, and studying. She is very talkative, good-natured and has great relationships with the staff and children at the Centre. n the future, Srey mom wants to be a teacher.
Ngean Yary age 18 years old.
Yary's parents both had HIV, so when she was born, she was also infected with this disease. Yary's mother died when we she was young, and her father moved the family to Phnom Penh so that he would be able to find work. Yary's mother had borrowed money to support the family and buy them medications, but when she died, the burden of repaying the debt fell to Yary. She has to work as a nanny for a year for a rich family to be able to pay back the money, However this house was not safe for her, as her employer often tried to rape her and would get violently angry with her when she refused him. Yary became too scared to go back, and sought help from the community to find her a new home.
With the aid of her neighbors and the local authorities, Yary was moved to the Centre at the age of sixteen. She began vocational training to become a seamstress, but soon after found her passion - cooking. She completed vocational training to work in a restaurant and has now been working for many months. Her initial salary of $20 a month was not enough for her to support herself, but now that she has more experience, Yary makes almost $85 a month. The staff at CCASVA are working to help Yary reintegrate back into her community, now that she has steady job and is able to provide for herself.
Vath Dalyn age 14 years old.
Dalyn had only known a life of fear before moving to the Centre. Her father was addicted to drugs and would frequently go to bars to pick up prostitutes and make them his wives. Dalyn's father wanted to sell her to the sex trafficking trade to make money to support his drug habit. In cooperation with the local police authority, Dalyn was removed from her slum home so that she could seek refuge at the Centre, However her father often came to the Centre and attempted to steal Dalyn back so that he could sell her on the streets. Her father has since died, and her mother now has a new husband. Dalyn has visited her home a few times since moving to the Centre but her new step-father is an alcoholic and abusive,
so it is now unsafe for her to return. Dalyn, now 14 years old, has built a whole new life at the Centre and has made a very successful transition. She progressed rapidly from grade 1 to grade 8 and has consistently been first place in her class. She is very studious, and prefers to spend her free time pouring over books. Dalyn also enjoys the cultural dancing that they do each Sunday at the Centre. The Centre has provided a more positive environment for Dalyn to grow up in. In the future, Dalyn plans to continue her studies and hopes to become a doctor.
Soun Savin age 14 years old.
Savin, his three siblings, and their mother had to work very hard to make enough money to support the family after their father died. Although his mother found a new husband, there was still not enough money to be able to send Savin to school. His mother brought him and his siblings to live in the Centre when they were very young so that they would have a chance at a better life. Their mother has moved away from Phnom Penh to find work, but tries to visit her children whenever she can.
Savin has lived at the Centre for almost ten years and has made very strong friendships with the other children. Whenever new children come to the Centre,He helps them to adjust to their new home and always maintains a positive attitude. Savin has worked very hard to speak English well. Unfortunately, he is often sick and must miss his classes. In the future, Savin wants to study law and hopes to work in the courts.
Sok Sreyleap age 13 years old.
Srey Leap became an orphan at a very young age, when her parents both died in a fire. With no siblings to help care for her, Srey Leap was adopted by another family from the slum in where she lived. This family had very little money, so she was forced to pick up trash on the street and go to nearby markets to beg for and try to steal money. She and her adoptive sister, who has downs syndrome, had no opportunity to go to school. In her new home, Leap was lucky to get one meal a day and many days she had to go without any food. Leap's adoptive mother had a boyfriend who would come to her in the night when she was sleeping and try to rape her. Most nights she was afraid to go home because of
Phoeun Sela age 16 years old.Sela came to the Centre for Child Development (CCD) in 2007, after living her whole life in Borei Keila, one of Phnom Penh's many slums. Her and her three siblings lived with their mother and step-father after their father died. They lived in a small one-room home, with barely enough room for them all to sleep on the floor. The government had promised to build new houses for people living in Sela's slum but they did not build enough, so Sela and her family continued to live in poor conditions, Unfortunately Sela's home was very dangerous for her, as she witnessed her step-father abuse her mother almost every day. Sela often lived in fear that her step-father would abuse her as well,and he tried to rape her
many times. Sela was moved to the Centre to help protect her from the dangers of living at home. Now sixteen years old, she has excelled in her six years at the Centre. She studies very hard and has progressed from Grade 1 to Grade 8. She enjoys cooking, and always maintains a positive attitude, interacting happily with the other children and staff. Sela does not want to go back to living in her slum, but she also worries about the safety of her siblings. Sela loves to study and learn, so in the future, she wants to become a teacher. She hopes to make enough money to help support her siblings and remove them from their dangerous home.