Projects and Activities

 

Despite the general improvement of the development situation in Cambodia, many parts of the population remain completely isolated. This is particularly the case of those living in remote areas, such as the forest area near the border to Thailand, where ex-Khmer rouge soldiers fled to 30 years ago after the Vietnamese invasion, and where 2 new generations now live completely isolated from the rest of the country. NGOs do not venture in these areas and there are virtually no schools, health services, social services, etc.

 

Children living in such poverty, with no education, no access to information and no health care, are extremely vulnerable to problems of child labor, exploitation, trafficking, and other maltreatment.

 

When such violations of children's rights occur, the population generally has no idea who to turn to, and are not aware of the legal and social services available and how to access them. For the minority who does undertake such measures, they are easily discouraged by the corrupt dealings between the perpetrator and the police of justice system, or the unfriendly service they receive.

 

 

To empower children and their communities to prevent child maltreatment in the Moung Russey and Koh Kralor districts of the province of Battambang.

 

Raising awareness of Children’s Rights and the penal code law procedures. 

The project facilitates workshops with villagers, local authorities, children, parent’s associations and other key persons to raise awareness of target issues (such as children’s rights, sexual abuse, child labor, penal law, and procedures for filing complaints, etc.)  Participants also use this time to share their experiences with each other. After each session, they are evaluated on what they have learned.

 

 

Bice’s partner in Battambang, OEC seeks to sensitize children, their parents, and the general community on the value of education and the problems caused by illiteracy. Its first step to achieving this goal is to provide children with access to education through temporary schools and study a curriculum that places awareness on the CRC, abuse, and maltreatment. They are evaluated through monthly, semester, and final examinations for promotions to the next levels, with the ultimate goal of reaching the level for re-integration into the public school system.

 

The project makes a concentrated effort to implicate parents and community members in the education process. Parents are encouraged to join parent’s associations which conduct meetings throughout the year to control the quality of education and to maintain and repair the community schools.Teachers are selected from the local community in a non-formal capacity (with financial and technical support from OEC and the department of education) and offered methodological trainings to increase their capacities.

 

Instances of maltreatment often go unreported, with its victims unwilling or unable to identify or report their abusers. For this reason, the project works with relevant agencies and NGOs to advocate and sensitize at different levels to ensure the protection of victims. OEC meets with the District Child Protection Committee (DCPC) to raise the problems of children in the two districts and seek solutions, and advocates at the community, district, and national levels to make sure that they enhance children’s rights and pay more attention to the victims.

 

Victims are offered direct support, including counseling and emergency services for the immediate needs of the victims, and are encouraged to file complaints through formal legal procedures. OEC provides assistance in these procedures by liaising with social services, police, authorities, and lawyers.

 

Project duration: 2 years
Project start date: October 2008