Established in 1991, Krousar Thmey (which means new family) gives material, educational and social support to abandoned and orphaned children, street children and victims of trafficking. We also provide support through access to education for deaf and blind children. In all our work, our goal is to provide a moral upbringing and educational opportunities, whist respecting and promoting cultural traditions and Khmer values.
In addition to building school in poor communities such as Poipet, Sisophon, Takmau and Siem Reap, we supplement the teachers’ salaries and buy educational materials for the schools. We have also created a Khmer vision of Braille, published school books from the national curriculum in Braille, and created a Khmer language. Vocational training in massage, music, dance, computers and weaving has also been adapted for students with sight and hearing disabilities.
We offer four temporary reception centers, where former street children can stabilize themselves before reintegration into society. In our three long-term protection centers, we provide homes for more than 100 children under the age of 16 who are orphaned, abandoned or have fled their families as a result of abuse. Our eleven family-style homes look after 10 very young or traumatized children each and we also provide at-risk single women with children with housing, land and tools to enable them to support themselves and their families.
In Sisophon in north-western Cambodia, we operate the School of Khmer Arts and Culture, where we work with two secondary schools to enable around 1500 local children to practice dance, music, sculpture, painting, and shadow theater. The dance and music troupes perform for official functions in each of or three protection Centers.
What can you experience ?
· Our exhibition center in Siem Reap, called Tonle Sap, Source of Lives showcases the ecological and cultural richness of the great Tonle Sap Lake. Located at the school for blind children on the road to the temples near the Jayavarman Hospital, we provide knowledgeable English-speaking guides to take you through the exhibition centre and discuss the work of Krousar Thmey.
· We provide massage services with 12 professionally-trained blind masseurs at the school behind our exhibition center and also at participating hotels. This is a perfect way to relax after a hard day at the temples!
· Every Wednesday evening, Krousar Thmey stages performance at La Noria Hotel in Siem Reap, a unique opportunity to listen and appreciate the musical skills of our children and support their activities.
· Looking for ways to help us? Contact your hotel/guesthouse for more information.
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HELPING YOU TO HELP (ConCERT)
ConCERT.. - Connecting Communities, Environment & Responsible Tourism.
We were established to help you support the most disadvantage people of Siem Reap
Siem Reap and the Surrounding Areas
.. a town that has on its doorstep the majestic Angkor Wat World Heritage site, the largest religious building in the world, and Tonle Sap, the largest fresh water lake in South-East Asia with its unique eco-systems and floating viallage.
Fascination with these man made and natural wonders has driven the repid expansion of tourism in Siem Reap.
Cambodia has made significant progress in recovering from its recent past and tourism is playing a key role. Thre is still much to be done...
In Siem Reap province over half of the people live below the poverty line
The causes of poverty include:
- a shortage of food due to poor soils, inefficient and sometimes unsustainable farming practices, and unmaintained irrigation systems.
- low levels of education resulting from a shortage of funding, teachers, resource etc.
- lack of technical and vocational training
- sparse health care provision (which is often inaccessible to people due to lack of money or distance)
- lack of infrastructure
- difficulties for people disabled through land mine accidents or other means to support themselves and their families.
The results of poverty include: