April 2014

The dislocation and disruption of families during the extreme programs of the Khmer Rouge almost 40 years ago continues to leave ripple effects in Cambodia. For many families, they lost elder family members who were the ones to equip the next generation with important skills in child care and development. The Khmer people care deeply for their precious children and young parents are eager for opportunities to learn how to plan for their families and care for their well-being, safety, and education. CWEF began offering a series of parenting sessions in communities around Cambodia in 2009.

Phai Lina, a participant in a recent parenting training session, shares her story:

“I am 29 years old. I am married with two children now. My family lives in Phnom Penh. My husband drives a tuktuk (motorcycle taxi) and I stay at home to care for our children. My parents are poor. They were not able to support me to go to school, so I quit school during grade 7. I did not stay in school long enough to gain education about preparing for my family. After I married my husband in 2006 we moved together to live with my mother-in-law.

I was really happy to join the CWEF training on parenting. The whole training helped me gain knowledge about how to care for children. I look forward to being a part of the next training session, too, because I gain the knowledge I need to raise healthy and good children. I am putting the lessons I learned into practice in my home, and I can already see good results. I am so thankful to CWEF for leading these trainings.

I also like to share with my neighbors and friends about the lessons I learned in these activities. When I have time to talk with someone that I know, I always share these lessons. It has become my habit to share this joy with other people I know. I want my children to grow up knowing these lessons so they can make good plans for their family in the future.”