Medical Centres in Cambodia

SOS Social Centre FSP in Battambang

The SOS Social Centre at Battambang, Cambodia was expected to be full functioning from September after construction. Due to difficulties in the recruitment of health professionals & obtaining an official licence from the ministry of health; the centre's original objective to serve people and children affected by HIV/AIDS has been postponed so currently only the family strengthening activities are taking place. Within the 15 km radius from the centre, 111 beneficiaries meet the programme criteria of the FSP and include 50 children, who are involved with the programme.

Of these 111 beneficiaries, there are 84 families which we are working with at Battambang.  We are concentrating our core activities on the improvement of the family situation; looking at supporting key children’s developmental needs and how to alleviate the socio-economic pressures. Through diverse of services we provide it is possible for them to support their own children independently. For example, we support 111 children for education, 62 caregivers for vocational training and 5 for emergency grants. This exceptional case happens where during the visit to those families, there is nothing for them to eat and couldn’t allow their children go to school and we make grants available in emergency situations.

We hope that, by the end of March, the SOS Social Centre will open for mother and child health care, after obtaining official licence from the ministry of health and recruitment of health workers recruitment is completed at end of February. We are also planning to accept the communities’ families living vicinity of the centre and others people from the community in limited number on a daily basis.

SOS Vocational Training Centre Siem Reap

Twenty four youngsters from various provinces applied and studied in the fourth batch started from January 2008 and graduated in November 2008. In most cases, those youngsters are originally from very poor families who have no opportunity to go to school or access other vocational training skills. As a result, of 24 graduates 12 of them got jobs straight away after graduation. One brilliant student was employed by the centre as the assistant to the teacher. This position is offered to all of them and is normally for one year only.

One of SOS youngsters who graduated in the first batch 2005, has now become self-employed and has his own business as a private contractor. Starting from scratch, he has done well. Now, he is now trying to hire other graduates from this centre as well. Two other graduates are getting stable jobs in Phnom Penh, the capital, and continue their study further at university during the work break on the weekend. Other students from the previous three batches are getting jobs in Siem Reap town.

The Angkor Siem Reap alumni was initiated and created by the end of this year and registered officially on January 2009. This alumni aim/objective and activities are to:

• promote and enhance the interest and welfare of members of the alumni
• encourage mutually beneficial “networking” among our members
  
• provide guidance to students who intend to proceed to other education or new career
  
• give information, advice and assistance to new members of the Alumni on their return to society.

As in Siem Reap, because of Angkor Wat one of the world's seven wonders, attracting millions of visitors each year coming and construction, the hotel industry and other related industries are blooming in the main town. Recognising the quality of service, networks from our SOS teenagers who are now working, spread this information, and some of them are making contract with us, accepting all graduates to particular subject they need for employment.