Our Community
Families in our community are predominantly Vietnamese and have traditionally earned a living by catching fish while some also work at garment factories or construction sites. As of June 2021 all houseboats (like the one you see in the photo) have been required to be removed from the rivers of Phnom Penh and our families have built or rented housing on the river banks. They will also need to find new sources of family income in months and years to come. This will be tough but more of the young adults (20-something year-olds) can read now due to having attended Heart of Hope classes in childhood. Past research has shown that Vietnamese children in Cambodia are at an especially high risk to be trafficked and exploited. These families are also still in danger due to the ongoing community violence, alcoholism, gambling, and drugs. Teaching families as well as the youth and children themselves how to avoid sexual exploitation, human trafficking, violence, and addictions is still essential to the welfare of these families. Our History
