EveryChild
4 Bath Place
Rivington Street
London
EC2A 3DR
T +44 (0)20 7749 2468
F +44 (0)20 7729 8339
Cambodia
Country overview
At least one million people died during this era as a result of hunger, sickness, mass purges and executions. Years of fighting have devastated Cambodia’s infrastructure and caused extreme social, economic and political dislocation, as well as psychological and physical trauma for the population.
As a result, Cambodia remains one of the world’s poorest nations. Many people survive on daily incomes of less than US$1 (70p) a day, and children are relied on to help increase the family income by working as porters, street sellers or daily labourers. Wealth and employment opportunities are concentrated in urban areas so many children migrate to the capital, leading to a breakdown in the family unit and an increase in the number of children on the streets.
What are the key issues?
- Poverty
- Poor access to basic education
- Increasing numbers of street children
- Very limited legal support for children in conflict with the law
What is EveryChild’s main focus?
- To prevent children from experiencing abuse and violence within families and communities
- To protect the rights of children living on the streets, especially those in conflict with the law
- To reintegrate children into communities and into safe, secure family environments
Street children
In Battambang Province there are around 700 children who live and work on the streets. These children are living on the streets for many different reasons, including the loss of one or both parents, violence at home or low family income. On the streets, they experience high levels of discrimination and violence with no protection from the authorities.
How EveryChild is helping
To prevent children from moving to the streets
- We hold training sessions with social workers and community leaders, empowering them to fulfil their obligations to protect vulnerable children from abuse, exploitation, discrimination and violence
- We educate children and their communities about their rights and the networks available to support and protect them
- We strengthen child protection networks in the communities.
- We run workshops and one-to-one sessions to help parents cope with daily pressures and reduce domestic abuse which is a key factor in children running away to the streets
To protect children living and working on the streets
- Drop-in centres provide non-formal education and counselling for children living on the street
- Night shelters offer a safe place for street children to sleep
- Drug referral and specialised counselling is offered
Reintegrating children back into communities and safe, secure family environments
- Where possible, we help reintegrate children back into their families. Where this is not possible, or not in the child’s best interests, we help find suitable family-based alternatives
Children in conflict with the law
Under current Cambodian law, children are tried in the same courts as adults and imprisoned with adult offenders. In prison, they often face abuse from other prisoners, police officers and prison guards. There is little or no access to education and inadequate food, hygiene and medical care. The absence of care or rehabilitation while in prison means that children are ill-equipped to return to society. In fact, 6 out of 10 children are re-arrested for even more serious crimes after their release.
How EveryChild is helping
- We ensure that children in conflict with the law have access to legal representation
- We provide training on procedures for all those involved in the legal process to raise awareness of child rights and work with prison officials to establish child protection mechanisms in the justice system
- Through workshops and other sessions, we work to ensure communities are fully aware of the rights of children