The Goducate Children’s Home in Prey Nob, Cambodia is home to more than 30 children. Most of them come from challenging family backgrounds—orphaned, unable to live at home with their parents, from single-parent homes or simply abandoned. They are looked after by a Filipino couple Noe and Grace, who, together with two assistants, provide a loving environment, where the children have a chance attend school, and within months, flourish with joy and confidence.
With Goducate’s vision to help children in poor communities in Asia through education, the transformational changes in the lives of the children is clear. Listening to Caleb, I found his story a living testimony. He is 13 years old. Before joining the home, he used to be a garbage collector and was unable to attend school. His father sent him out to rummage for aluminum cans and plastic bottles in the streets all day to earn a meager sum of less than 25 cents to help put food on the table for his family. His face bears the scars of scratch marks, from other children fighting over the same piece of garbage with him. Now, he shares with me, that he is glad he has a new life. He has new friends. He is able to have the chance to go to school daily, to learn to read and write. He also learns livelihood skills such as tending to fruit and vegetable crops, rearing chicken, and looking after tilapia in the fish farm at the home.
With the mission of Goducate to provide opportunities for children to help themselves through accessing education and learning skills foundational for future self-supporting and self-sustaining enterprises, new and bold dreams are being shaped. In the local community, where subsistence farming is the main occupation, Caleb dreams of being a scientist in the future. Other children shared their aspirations of being doctors, teachers, and even prime minister of their country. These are the dreams of the next generation, emerging from the shadows of the brutality of the dark past of wars and massacre. I am thankful I, a Singaporean, had a chance to see Goducate’s work in building bridges for the children and youth in our neighboring countries to reach further towards new possibilities.
Children tipping manure carried from chicken coop to base of tree
As I made my journey home, after spending five valuable days with the children, memories of Caleb and many other children smiling have left a deep impression of the hope and potential that Goducate, through love, care and commitment through education, has brought to many in Cambodia.
Guest writer Su Lian, Volunteer from Singapore