Ratana is an orphan from the poor farming village of Kor. At a young age he found shelter in NFC and by now he has completed a double degree at university. Ratana is grateful for the opportunities NFC has given him – opportunities many other Cambodian children will never get. In 2013 he proposed to start an education program in his hometown to help other underprivileged children. Naturally, we were very excited to help him realise this project.

Generally, children in Cambodia attend regular education. Attending a public school is free. However, many families do not have the financial means to cover the additional costs that come with schooling, such as the costs for school uniforms, books, stationary, and so on. The CSEP is located in a poor farming community in rural Cambodia. Many families need to live on less than €5 per day. Due to these financial difficulties parents may not prioritise school for their children, but may ask them to help generate income. Ratana wanted to change this situation and motivate the community for education. For many years Ratana spent every weekend in the village and on a voluntary basis taught the children in a make-shift classroom. But the project became increasingly popular and hundreds of children applied. Currently, the CSEP employs several teachers and proper classrooms have been built..

The CSEP’s main aim is to motivate children and their parents for education. We advocate that all children attend public Cambodian primary and secondary school. If they are unable to pay for their school books, we will ensure that copies are made available in our library. If they cannot afford school uniforms, we will pay for them. To help students get to their often distant school, we provide them with bicycles. The CSEP also offers extracurricular lessons in the English language and in computer skills. With this project we have achieved a change in mentality: at first most families were focussed on short-term results (having their children contribute to the family income), but now most families understand the long-term benefits of education and have become motivated to send their youngsters to school. Many of the youngsters involved in Dom-ray’s projects are the first ones in their families to complete their primary and secondary school levels and to continue their studies at university.

Many of the youngsters involved in Dom-ray’s projects are the first ones in their families to complete their primary and secondary school levels. Dom-ray wants to motivate these young people to continue their studies at university or pursue vocational training. Enrolling in further education will drastically improve their prospects for the future, which in turn will enable them to contribute to the further development and education of their siblings and, in due time, children of their own. To make further education accessible to all, Dom-ray offers scholarships to students who could otherwise not afford to study.

In exchange for the support that we provide these youngsters with, we ask them to contribute to our projects during or after their studies. This way we increase our impact even further and we hope that young people also inspire each other. For example, English students contribute to our language lessons and social work students undertake home visits. These are just a few examples of how ‘our’ students give back to Cambodian society.

Dom-ray offers scholarships to underprivileged students. To facilitate this we are continuously looking for individuals or businesses who are willing to become personal sponsors For as little as € 40,- a month a student can take university training, but of course it is also possible to donate a smaller amount. All donations are much appreciated. Commercial parties who donate, but also private individuals who donate periodically, are entitled to tax reductions. Please contact us if you want to find out more.

The MidwayHouse arose out of the needs of the former students of NFC’s orphanage. Growing up in the shelter had left them without a sense of the value of money, being unfamiliar with what is needed to run a household, and thus being alienated from the real world. Without these skills a successful independent life would be impossible, despite good vocational or university training. To combat these issues and to provide them with a stepping stone, the MidwayHouse was founded in 2010.

The MidwayHouse is a student dormitory that offers safe and affordable housing and is a place where students can also acquire the skills necessary to make a successful transition into an independent lifestyle. Our student coordinator provides mentoring and guidance during their stay. Major expenses, such as rent, are covered by Dom-ray, but the youngsters have to find jobs in order to pay all other expenses, such as water and electricity bills, their food, transportation, and all personal items. Moreover, they are completely responsible for all daily operations, including housekeeping, grocery shopping and cooking. This leaves them with great autonomy and responsibility, mimicking an independent lifestyle. Our aim is that upon completing their studies, these students are ready to live independently.

The MidwayHouse arose out of the needs of the students of NFC’s orphanage in 2010. Nowadays underprivileged students from several NGOs and projects live in the MidwayHouse. Most of these students come from rural communities and are studying in Phnom Penh. Their mixed backgrounds offer them an opportunity to exchange experiences and learn from them.

Dom-ray offers underprivileged or vulnerable young Cambodians opportunities to improve their future. To do so, she undertakes many projects, mainly focusing on education and personal development. But because good health is also extremely important for both physical and cognitive-emotional development of children, Dom-ray also undertakes activities related to preventive and curative care.

Many people living in the Cambodian countryside have limited access to health care. Our health outreach program aims to tackle this issue; we bring health care services to the villages. A team of nurses, doctors and other healthcare providers travel to our rural community and provide both curative and preventive care. Educating the villagers on hygiene and a healthy lifestyle is an important part of this.

Stichting Dom-ray likes to join forces; to learn from each other, to help each other, and to create an even bigger impact. To facilitate the health outreach project, Dom-ray collaborates with Hospital Beyond Boundaries Phnom Penh, an organisation with ample experience in providing medical care to disadvantaged communities. But even more special is the fact that this project was established – and is continuously developed further – by nursing students from Windesheim University of Applied Sciences. As part of their minor International Sustainable Development they can work for this project for a few months. It offers them the opportunity to explore a different healthcare system and to gain experience in development aid. And the members of our community get improved health care in return – a win-win situation!