A Safe Space for Cambodia's Vulnerable Children

The first thing you notice about Kosal* is his quiet, yet dignified demeanour which belies his sharp wit and incredible intelligence. At 15 years old, Kosal bears an innocence uncommon in young people who have experienced such hardship.

Kosal was born with dwarfism into an impoverished family in central Cambodia. When he was a child, his parents were approached by a group of Thais who offered to take him to Thailand and promised to care for him. Tragically, as the family later found out, Kosal fell victim to Thai traffickers exploiting his disability for the purpose of forced begging in the Thai markets. After years of abuse, at the age of 13, he was arrested by Thai police for begging and returned to Cambodia.

At the Poipet Transit Centre (PTC) on the Thai-Cambodian border, he was referred to Damnok Toek’s Child Migrant Office (CMO) which offers support to child deportees, and, in particular, unaccompanied minors. Kosal remembered that his family lived in Kampong Cham province, but he could not recall the name of his native village. Luckily, for such cases, Cambodia’s Partnership Program for the Protection of Children (3PC) – a collaborative network powered by Friends International of which Damnok Toek is a core member – provides family tracing and reintegration services.

Social workers of the 3PC successfully located Kosal’s family, only to find that they were homeless, living in extreme poverty and mired in debt. Given the circumstances, it was decided that the best solution for the child was to be referred to Damnok Toek’s Transitional Care Facility (TCF) where he could live and pursue his schooling through our Non-Formal Education (NFE) program.

Speaking through a translator, he reflects on this decision with gratitude, saying: “Before coming here, my life was a bit difficult. I was living in Thailand, and I had never been to school. When I was returned to Cambodia, I had no place to stay and nothing to eat. At Damnok Toek, I finally have a safe space to sleep and can eat three meals a day. I can study and play...” The translator pauses as Kosal – who has clearly followed the conversation – finishes in English: “...with my friends.”

Damnok Toek’s TCF offers long-term accommodation, meals, education, counselling, and other provisions for children under 16 for whom family reintegration is not an option. Many children who live at the TCF have experienced extreme trauma from trafficking, exploitation, violence, abuse and abandonment. Most of them have never been to school. Damnok Toek takes an individualised approach to their education based on accelerated learning and teaching life skills to address each child's specific needs.

Kosal excelled at his lessons straight away, and after one year of education at the TCF, he was transferred to the NFE program to complete Grade 6. Boasting an outstanding school record, and with the support of his teacher, he went on to study in a local secondary school, taking extra classes on Saturday mornings for additional practice in core subjects.

“My favourite subjects are English and ICT. I love computers and I would like to learn how to use them better.” His current school offers two hours of ICT per week, but Kosal would eagerly practice more, if only he had access to a computer outside of school hours.

Despite the obstacles, Kosal possesses an unwavering optimism when speaking about his future: “I would like to go to university to design different models of computers and do program developing. I know I am not a strong man, so having skills in designing computers would be really good for me.”

At the end of the interview, we asked Kosal if we could take a photo of him at his favourite spot in the Centre. After walking around for a while, he stopped in front of a blooming bush, plucked a yellow flower, held it to his nose and smiled for the camera.

*The child’s name has been changed and his photo blurred to protect his identity.