School 135 poor Cambodian children to prosperity.

The target children mostly come from farming or migrant families who have moved to informal settlements in Phnom Penh. Their parents and guardians primarily work in the informal economy with low and irregular incomes as construction workers, factory employees, motorcycle/tuk-tuk drivers, street vendors, cleaners, and waste collectors. With more than two children per household and high city living costs, education expenses are a heavy burden for them. Due to the intense pressure of earning a living "from dawn until dusk" to manage daily survival, most parents lack the time to monitor their children's studies or provide encouragement. Previously, they often held the view that education was solely the responsibility of teachers, which led to a high risk of school dropout and a lack of communication between families and the school.

To address these challenges, Salvation Centre Cambodia (SCC) implemented strategic activities, including the establishment of the SCC Community School to provide non-formal education to orphans and vulnerable children, including those living with HIV. The goal is to increase their knowledge, confidence, and physical and mental health. The organization works closely with local authorities, state schools, and parents to monitor academic progress and facilitate necessary legal documents, such as birth certificates. Additionally, the organization organized parent meetings to integrate knowledge regarding children's rights, positive parenting, and the importance of community involvement in education.

According to group discussions held in late July 2025 and a parent meeting on March 25, 2026, the results clearly showed a positive change in behavior. The ten parents who participated in the discussion confirmed they have stopped forcing their children to do excessive housework that interferes with learning and have made efforts to arrange study spaces and provide necessary materials for their children. In the parent meeting, there were a total of 38 participants (including 30 women) who gained a clearer understanding of their role in promoting their children's education. As a practical achievement, a total of nine students received outstanding results in state schools in January and were awarded incentives from SCC. Among them, one student ranked 1st and received 20kg of rice, $10 USD, and a full set of school supplies. Three students ranked 2nd and each received 20kg of rice and school supplies, while five students ranked 3rd and each received 20kg of rice to help relieve the family's living burden.

The impact of these activities is reflected through the words of the mother of a young boy named Thona in Sangkat Srah Chak: “I used to think that as long as I sent my child to school, my job was done. But after participating in the meeting and seeing my child's academic results, I now realize that my encouragement at home is very important for my child”.

The mother of a young girl named Leanghor in Sangkat Srah Chak stated: “I am incredibly happy and moved that the SCC Community School always pays such close attention to monitoring my daughter’s studies so. I would like to express my deepest gratitude to the organization for providing her with this incentive award, which serves as a great source of motivation for my daughter to continue striving in her studies moving forward”.

The mother of a young girl named Riya in Sangkat Srah Chak stated: “I am truly delighted that the SCC Community School has put so much effort into monitoring my daughter’s studies, something I was never aware of before. Through this dedicated attention, I commit to continuing to urge and encourage my child to study even harder to achieve even better results”.

Your continued support is helping transform not only children's lives, but also the attitudes of parents—creating stronger families where education is valued, children are encouraged, and hope for a brighter future continues to grow.

Six-year-old Nhorn Seiha is the second of three children in a family from Preah Vihear province who were driven by extreme poverty to migrate illegally to Thailand in November 2024 in search of work. Their fragile hope quickly collapsed when the parents’ health deteriorated due to overwork and extremely low wages, forcing them to return to Cambodia and wander as day laborers until they reached Phnom Penh in September 2025—homeless, jobless, and without food or savings. In the midst of this instability, Seiha became critically ill and was taken to Kantha Bopha Children’s Hospital on September 20, 2025, but after initial treatment, doctors advised the family to take him home despite their lack of shelter and resources. Soon after, his two siblings also fell seriously ill, leaving the desperate parents dividing their time between hospitals while struggling to survive, with their children’s lives hanging in the balance.

At this life-threatening moment, Salvation Centre Cambodia (SCC) intervened immediately by advocating for Seiha’s urgent admission to Kantha Bopha Hospital II, where doctors diagnosed a severe lung infection requiring emergency surgery that ultimately saved his life. Beyond medical advocacy, SCC provided comprehensive support to stabilize the family, including covering rent for two months and ten days, supplying 100 kilograms of rice, providing daily food allowances during recovery, covering transportation costs for hospital visits, and distributing nutritional supplements and essential household items. In addition, SCC assisted both parents in securing stable employment, ensuring that the family could begin rebuilding their lives with dignity and reduced dependency.

Today, the family’s situation has improved significantly: Seiha survived his critical illness, his brother and sister are recovering, and both parents are now earning steady incomes—45,000 Riel ($11.25 USD) per day for the father as a construction worker and 32,000 Riel ($8 USD) per day for the mother in a factory—allowing them to pay their rent, daily meals, and save toward their goal of returning to home town (Preah Vihear province) to start a small business and enroll their children in school. However, challenges remain, as nine-year-old Ariya has assumed the heavy responsibility of caring for her younger brothers while her parents work long hours, raising ongoing concerns about child protection and safety. Thanks to timely intervention and compassionate support, this family has moved from homelessness and medical crisis toward stability and renewed hope, though continued monitoring is essential to ensure the children can grow up safe, healthy, and able to reclaim their childhood.

Because of compassionate supporters like you, Seiha survived a life-threatening illness, and his family has moved from homelessness toward stability. Your generosity did more than provide emergency medical support—it restored hope, dignity, and the possibility of a better future for three vulnerable children. Yet their journey is not over. Continued support is essential to ensure their safety, education, and protection. Together, we can help this family not only survive—but truly thrive