Young Adult Preparation and Integration Program

I'm working with impoverished and socially excluded young adults who are at a point in their life in which they need to consider their future options. As job market skills and knowledge are limited, as well as the abilities to live independently, I'm working together with these young adults in educating and preparing them for a independent and responsible young adulthood. See below for further information. The Anjali House is a Cambodian NGO that supports (former) street children in Siem Reap through education, healthcare and the arts. The center enrolls the children in local public schools, provides two healthy meals during the day and ensures healthcare provision. In addition, the children attend extra classes in English, general studies and (artistic) workshops at the center. There are approximately 80 children currently supported by the center and their ages range between 4 and 18 years. Situational Context Anjali House is located on the outskirts of Siem Reap, Cambodia. We work with children from 2 nearby villages, Wat Svay and Wat Damnak. Most of the children’s families live in houses that are constructed of bamboo and leaves, without running water and other facilities. They live, sleep and eat in just one room, meaning that the children often don’t get enough sleep, resulting in inferior performance at school and at Anjali. For their livelihood, most families survive on a subsistence basis, living day to day, many work odd jobs or as laborers and trade home grown fruit and vegetables at local markets, others sell books, postcards or flowers to visiting tourists. The average monthly income of these families generally does not exceed $ 35, which is extremely low considering the fact that the average family size is 5. Besides extreme poverty, families in these communities often experience other social problems like disabilities, domestic violence, alcohol abuse and gambling. Most of the adults suffer from long term chronic illnesses, many of them from landmine accidents, and they don’t have the resources to pay for medication or treatment. Very few of the children’s parents have had access to education, as they were forced into agricultural communes and persecuted during the Khmer Rouge regime. Therefore, parents are uncertain if, or why education will help their children improve their future lives. Education is a large investment of time and in these families there is often no money to support this investment.