Children in FamiliesOut of Orphanages and Into Families: Meet Dy Noeut
Here at the CIF main office in Phnom Penh, the communications team recently welcomed the Outreach team into our shared space. Now that we’re in close proximity to each other, we’ve had more opportunities to hear about the work Dy Noeut and his team are doing. A couple of weeks ago, Dy Neout and I…
CiFChildren in Families·2019-04-05·5 min read
Foster CareFinding A New Family: How CIF recruits our foster parents
Frequently, when the terms “Foster Care” or “Emergency Care” are spoken about within many Western nations, a myriad of negative experiences and stories surface. People picture children uprooted time and time again. Children shuffled through a system, clutching a garbage bag to their chest filled with their only personal belongings. Children in Families (CIF) takes…
CiFChildren in Families·2018-11-10·7 min read
Foster CareLucky to be fostering: One family’s journey to becoming CIF Foster parents
Maly and Nhean are like many Cambodian rural couples. They are well established members of their community, known and respected by their neighbors and involved in community life. They are subsistence farmers who supplement their income during the year with extra jobs. Nhean works as motodop – a motorbike taxi ferrying neighbors and visitors to…
CiFChildren in Families·2018-05-17·3 min read
Foster CareCelebrating ‘Anne with an E’ Part 2: Resilience and Reintegration
Myth #1: Orphans are inherently resilient and institutionalised children can easily reintegrate into society. Last post we introduced the idea that orphans are a central part of Western popular culture. If you missed it, you can find it here. We talked about how the words often used to talk about orphans evoke a strong sense…
CiFChildren in Families·2017-07-05·8 min read
Community Based CareEmpowering Sustainable Families
As an organization, we want to work ourselves out of a job; at the very least, evolve with our approach. The needs of communities will change as Cambodia becomes more developed and families gain empowerment. To have true success, holistic needs must be met, both sustainable and long-term. If over 80% of children in orphanages…
CiFChildren in Families·2016-07-22·3 min read
Rok KernMedia: The Power of Dignity or Shame
A recent media campaign by a Cambodian NGO, portraying children in rags and labelling them as “a sex worker” or “a street kid” has kicked off a storm of discussion. How do we as NGOs portray or represent the people we are trying to help? While many children and families do live in poverty, we need to…
CiFChildren in Families·2016-06-13·3 min read
OutreachSupport Families, Not Orphanages
Explaining why you should support families, not orphanages, Friends-International put out a short-but-powerful illustrated ChildSafe video. They reiterated the same message Lumos Int., Children in Families (CIF), and several other organizations have found through research: most children in orphanages have families; they just live in poverty. Many issues stem from placing children into institutional care. The…
CiFChildren in Families·2016-06-01·2 min read
