SAMBATH & KAKADA | Cambodia
From Insecure to Secure
Ten-year-old Sambath and five-year-old Kakada live in a poor section of a small village just outside Phnom Penh, Cambodia. They are growing up without the presence of a father, because he is in prison. Kakada has only known his father from behind prison walls. Their mother remarried just over a year ago, and started a new family, so the boys live with their grandparents. Once their father is released, he will go home to his own parents.
“Their father doesn’t want them,” says Sambath and Kakada’s grandmother.
The psychological trauma this experience caused by both boys made them withdrawn. And this trauma, especially for children of prisoners who are repeatedly rejected by family members and peers, compounds over time if not addressed.
The two boys enrolled in our child sponsorship program, which is giving them emotional care to help them overcome their trauma and build their confidence and self-esteem.
Since joining the program, their emotional state has improved dramatically. Sambath and Kakada are now more outgoing and engaged in school and social activities. The program has also provided safety for the boys. They no longer have to walk dangerous streets to school, as they both received bicycle to travel with to and from school. They also receive regular food packages and medical services to help them grow strong and healthy. With the financial support, their grandparents have been able to increase their small fruit-selling business, which is helping create regular income and build a stable environment for the boys.
Sambath and Kakada now have hope for the future. Sambath wants to be a teacher when he grows up, and Kakada dreams of becoming a policeman.
Help children like Sambath and Kakada receive emotional healing and hope for the future.