Interview with Nhung Davis Program Coordinator

Sen Non Lotus Blossom Preschool in Cambodia

Summary of Audio Interview

The program was started to allow children an opportunity to go to school and learn. Vietnamese who live in Cambodia are not allowed to have jobs because they are not considered citizens. These families have no long term goals, they often move around from community to the next. Children as young as 10 years old are sent out to earn money by picking through garbage for cans and bottle to sell to recyclers. Every member of the family has to work and they barely make enough to survive. The children are malnourished, dirty, and disease ridden because of their living conditions.

Sen Non School offers young children under 5 in particular need a place to keep them out of trouble. The school starts for from 3:30pm – 5:30pm Monday to Friday. Here children are fed milk and other nutritious foods, washed, sang songs, read stories, and participated in other learning activities. The difficulty so far has been to keep a low profile because Sen Non is not yet recognized by the Cambodian government as a non-profit organization. The children and parents lack the sense of motivation to attend school. Children who do come to school are not disciplined and behave very poorly. The children have not learned any manners and etiquette due to many years of neglect by the parents.

Another major issue with the community is human trafficking and prostitution. Mothers who claim to “sell café” are really putting up their daughter for sale. It is such a shame that some families can sink so low as to sell their children. We must continue helping these fellow Vietnamese and give them hope that poverty can be overcome.