Working for Children at Risk in Cambodia

For years, children around the world have been crying out to be heard, loved and supported. Many live amidst difficult, often tragic, situations and many never reach their full potential.

In Cambodia children are at risk especially because of poverty, ill-health, poor quality education, illiteracy, abuse, neglect, and sexual exploitation. With around 42% of the total population below 18 years of age, poverty is impacting children and youth most severely. Though attitudes are changing slowly, social norms prevent communities from being safe places for children.

For this reason, in December 2002, EFC Children’s Commission (EFC CC) was established, as one of the commissions under the Evangelical Fellowship of Cambodia.

EFC CC Vision: Cambodian children, especially children at risk, become part of the community and the family of God.

Mission Statement: EFC CC is a network of advocates for children that will provide opportunities for learning, equipping and working together so that children will experience and celebrate the fullness of life.

By conducting activities covering three areas – Raising Awareness of children at risk, Relevant Training and Network Support – EFC CC seeks to mobilise the local church within the community to respond to the needs of children. Through working with pastors and church leaders, as well as childcare workers, they believe a change can be brought in knowledge, attitude and skills which can transform the society.

EFC CC is led and staffed by Khmer (Cambodian nationals), with the support of expatriate volunteers. Initially work centred around Phnom Penh, the capital city, but from 2008 efforts have concentrated in one new province each year. People in the locality organise the local events themselves and EFC CC helps to provide the technical/teaching support that is needed. They also seek to follow up, consolidate and sustain growth of the work with children.

EFC CC conduct regular network meetings in Phnom Penh and several provinces, train pastors and church leaders and hold an annual Family Fun Day for their families as well as an International Children’s Day. They run year long Celebrating Children Course(s) to equip Christian childcare workers in and train Sunday School teachers. In 2009 a joint project, Voice of the Children, began which aims to implement child protection policies in each church participating in the Kampot Province project.

One pastor reports that all his church members who have attended the Celebrating Children Course have grown in knowledge of the Bible and understanding of children issues as well as in their skills in working with them. Lessons have been applied in the participants’ own home situations and opportunities taken to train others in their workplace, family or community.

EFC Children’s Commission is well aware that many organizations are working with and for children at risk in Cambodia, although perhaps only a few link closely with the local churches. Listed at the end of this article are resources which can be helpful to people working with children around the world.

Children at Risk Resources

1. VIVA www.viva.org

The Viva Community offers an opportunity for everyone committed to or involved with supporting vulnerable children to connect with one another through prayer, events, resources, working groups, and discussion forums. They offer resources of many kinds in several languages and have workers in several countries around the world.

They encourage prayer by adults and children, and produce a Worldwide Weekend of Prayer for Children at Risk booklet (early June) , a fortnightly prayer email and a quarterly prayer diary.

For several years EFC CC have used the Understanding God’s Heart for Children Facilitation Guidelines and have been running the Celebrating Children Course, a year long course to equip Christian childcare workers. Check out www.celebratingchildrentraining.info the website which provides guidelines on how to prepare and set up the course, as well as lesson power points and other training support that is needed.

Viva also holds various regional and global conferences and hosts several forums. More recently they have joined hands with one organisation (Chab Dai) to form Doorsteps, which offers training in Project Cycle Management and Quality Improvement Systems as well as funds to small organisations within Cambodia combating trafficking.

2. CHAB DAI (Joining Hands)  www.chabdai.org

is a network of over 40 Christian organizations working against human trafficking and sexual abuse in Cambodia. Chab Dai also has offices in the U.S. the U.K. and Canada, focusing on awareness raising, and coalition building with like-minded organizations.

3. TEARFUND UK www.tearfund.org and tiltz.tearfund.org

Their ten-year vision is to see 50 million people released from material and spiritual poverty through a worldwide network of 100,000 local churches. They provide resources in several languages which provide practical information aimed at encouraging and supporting local churches in bringing justice and transforming lives, including children at risk. These include Footsteps, Pillars, Roots and Child Protection materials.

4. URBAN SAINTS www.urbansaints.org

Primarily by supporting volunteer youth and children’s groups through their Energize resource package, they produce children and youth leaders training materials, a Games Book and conduct events within UK. However staff members have conducted training and materials have been translated for use in Cambodia and other nations.

5. GENERATION MINISTRIES / SUN FOCUS (Hong Kong)      sunfocus@netvigator.com

Creative Bible Lessons cover an 8 year curriculum using a variety of visual aids for which teacher training is offered. The materials have been written for use in poorer communities and have been translated into several languages.

6. STAIRWAY FOUNDATION (Philippines) www.stairwayfoundation.org

is a learning and resource center for children’s rights which has produced Animations for the Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation, including A Good Boy (Pedophilia), Daughter (Incest) and Red Leaves Falling (Child Pornography and Sex Trafficking).

7. THE RAGAMUFFIN PROJECT www.ragamuffin.org.uk

is a professional agency, which is committed to the relief of emotional pain and psychological damage in children and adults, delivering Creative Arts Therapies, training, supervision and consultancy in partnership with organisations in the UK, Russia and Cambodia.

8. MAX 7 www.max7.org

is an online library of FREE resources helping you to disciple children and young people of a variety of ages and again in a variety of languages.

Enjoy your search!