Child Club in Kampong Thom Combate Against Violation of Children’s Rights

“The girl is always cry when she remember her mother. Her mother went abroad to earn money and now no reply.” One elementary school teacher said.

Kampong Thom province is a typically countryside area in Cambodia. Huge number of families live in extreme poverty situation and ​migrant to Phnom Penh or other country to earn money. In such a situation, a lot of children are endangered in violation of children’s rights such as child labor, domestic violence, no education, poor hygiene and human trafficking.

Even though many children experienced like that difficulty, they strongly combat against problems as they are members of Child Club. They understand Children’s Rights, importance of education and other knowledge related to their living by getting educated with CCPCR and Teacher. One Child Club member could answer about the Children's Right, is the right to be protected, life, participation, and growing with education.

One other member said that her life has been changed. “Now I can share my opinion to my parents and they start to listen about it. If my parents ask me to quit school, I can refuse it, because I have my rights”.

However, there are still difficulty for some children in village, they want to get education as other children, but they live under the pressure of family situation. “One child wants to join the Child Club, but his mother went to work in Malaysia and his father always logging in the forest every day. So he have to take care his little brother and it is impossible.” One teacher said.

As just described, sometime poverty and migration is a big issue to solve violation of children’s rights. Then CCPCR program supported their combate by setting up Parent group, saving group or conducting training workshop and so on.

For adding to Child Club, children have a chance to study. “I want to be a doctor and I wish to contribute to my village. I would like to help ill person who are living in poverty.” One Child Club member talked about his dream. Written and Photo by Yuya Yamakawa