The school runs a small home for needy children.
In 2007 after the school had been running 15 months, Savong was approached first by one and then another student who needed assistance - basic day to day shelter, food and care.
While the center is called SOC or Savong Orphan Center, these children are not strictly orphans (that's a term widely used in Cambodia for any child in care) but they do need care. It is easy to forget just how poor the rural areas of Cambodia are, and with the economy making life harder and harder, many families are finding it extremely difficult to care for their own children. this is particularly true for solo parents.
A hard option considered by some families is to literally sell their children - the result being that these children end up in in menial jobs - or worse - before they're aged 10.
Savong thought deep and hard about this problem. Is this outside the scope of the school - or part of the mission to provide opportunities, for free, to poor rural children? The decision was made to house and feed and care for a number of children and thus prevent them from the problems many children face. After approaching an American couple, Christina and John Quill, who generously agreed to to fund the building of the home for these children in early 2009. They have been strong supporters of Savong and his project.
Another American supporter contributed to build the toilet block, and later in 2009 a kitchen was built thanks to a very generous supporter from Singapore. The next stage was to build a study room (late 2009) and various amenity improvement have been made including the purchase of steel water tank to gather rain water. It was installed just before the big typhoon that swept over Cambodia in late September 09.
This residential home for children is located on its own property and features housing, three rooms, for 38 children who range in age from very young through to 22. They're a good crew, and work together like a family. Each day they are fed and of course they are provided with basic needs including health care - with Savong taking any child who is sick to the excellent childrens hospital in Siem Reap. To meet some of the children click here.
The children here are well looked after, and the home has now been officially resgistered and licensed by the Ministry of Internal Affairs - a welcome step. (The certificate is republished on our news page.) Perhaps you would like to sponsor one of these children. There are three levels of sponsorship:
- Sponsor their education and schooling costs. $US15 per month.
- Sponsor their living costs - food, shelter, clothing and care. $US30 per month.
- Sponsor their total costs - living and education. $US45 per month.
If you'd like to find out more, feel welcome to contact us.
Note - we have a sister website: www.savongorphanage.com that focuses on the orphanage.