One of the most important aspects of our work, is being a point of contact for families in need. Our staff work tirelessly in the community, checking on the welfare of our students and their families. While we regularly carry out food drops, to help alleviate financial troubles and to improve nutrition, we also help in other ways too.
Many parents or carers of our students are illiterate. This puts them out of reach of many government services, as they do not hear about them, or know how to access them. We help with filling out forms for health care, moving provinces and registering with the appropriate authorities, talking to police about any problems and helping to register children for state school. It is very important for us to fill this gap and we try our best to do so.
We have known many of our families for years and years. This has helped to build up a relationship of trust. There is often a reluctance to seek help from the government authorities, for fear (often unfounded) of persecution or financial costs. We help to fill the role of leasing between the two. We try to spend as much time being present in the community to ensures this relationship continues.
The Goodwill Center Sihanoukville 