The children cared for by Pour un Sourire d'Enfant (PSE) are among the poorest in Cambodia. Some of them are victims of violence or abuse in their families or are at risk of being used as forced labour. Our association has therefore set up solutions to ensure the protection of these children and youngsters in danger.
The boarding school, a safe haven for children at great risk
The boarding school takes in 160 children aged 5 to 16, more than half of whom are girls, who are in great danger in their families.
The children eat in Pour un Sourire d'Enfant Centre's canteen, they are monitored by the medical team and take part in the extra-curricular activities and human skills training offered to all the children of the association. In order to encourage the success of the children in school and in vocational training, PSE has set up evening classes to help with homework.
Families ties are maintained and every month we welcome families who want to spend time with their children in the Centre. Some go home, overseen by the PSE team.
A few hundred other children, among them the youngest children and their siblings, are cared for in foster families, who are paid and closely monitored by our social team.
This programme ensures the physical and moral well-being of the children and provides them with the affection and support they need, thanks to the dedicated and trained Khmer staff, while preserving relationships with their families.
Boarding facilities to enable youngsters to continue their studies
Real estate development projects in Phnom Penh have led to a sharp rise in prices, forcing many families to leave the city. This means that many youngsters could no longer continue their schooling or studies in the PSE Centre.
We have built boarding facilities where about 250 pupils and students are accommodated.
To take care of the children throughout their journey at PSE, your long-term support is essential: this is through sponsorship!
PSE camps, the school continuity programme
During the school holidays, the camps take advantage of the PSE infrastructure deserted by the pupils, they welcome a large number of children to protect them from forced labour and ensure the continuity of our support.
During a month, the children are welcomed by Cambodian monitors and young European volunteers for fun activities in the three PSE centres and in our Community Centres in the neighbourhoods and villages.
Through sponsorship you can guarantee a complete support for the children over the long-term
The work of PSE is indispensable: it provides the necessary protection for children to complete their schooling and provides hope they can live dignified lives.
The children are supported until they definitively escape poverty. On average, they stay in PSE programmes for 10 years. This is why PSE has set up the sponsorship system: a guarantee that we can take care of the children until they finish their schooling, until they find a job that will allow them to live with dignity.
We cannot leave children behind!