At the core of his efforts are disadvantaged children who have become victims of enslavement, human trafficking and prostitution.
It takes care of around 3, marginalised children each year in the cities of Phnom Penh, Poipet and Neak Loeung. In Poipet, on the border with Thailand, Sovannarith Sam runs various drop-in centres in which approximately children, who live and work on the street, find refuge. They keep themselves and their families afloat β by carrying heavy loads, collecting waste, as beggars or, in the worst case, as child prostitutes.
In the drop-in centres, the children can recover from the strains of their work. They are given a hot meal and can have a shower.
Wherever possible, they are prepared for admission to a mainstream state school. In cooperation with public authorities and private business, the aid organisation also enables the boys and girls to gain a vocational qualification and helps them to get apprenticeships, work placements or jobs. By giving children and young people a roof over their head in the drop-in centres, he is providing life-saving protection. Through education and training, he endeavours to reintegrate the children into society and to give them a future.
And lastly, by raising awareness, he wants to prevent children from being deprived of rights and protection. According to Yves Serra, the commitment of the Cambodian doctor is shaped by his conviction that first and foremost, children are human beings with an inviolable dignity and with fundamental rights.
