Regions: Africa   Asia   Latin America


Name of Organization: Health Care Center for Children (HCC)

Country: Cambodia

Project Title: "Skill Development & Education in Prevention and Protection of Vulnerable Children and Women From Trafficking and Commercial Sexual Exploitation"

Project Timeframe: May 2005 - November 2006

Location of Project: Kien Svay District, Kandal Province

Budget Amount: $103,000

NGO contact and website:
#35A St. 376 Sangkat Boengkengkang 3, Khan Chamkar Morn
Phnom Penh Cambodia
Phone: +855-23212-133 / +855-12855-052
Email: hcc@forum.org.kh

Project's Primary Objective: Strengthen formal and transitional education systems that encourage working children and those at risk of working to attend school.

Description of Organization: Healthcare Center for Children (HCC) is a non-profit, non-sectarian, local non-government organization established in Cambodia in 1998. It implements programs for the prevention of trafficking for labor and commercial sexual exploitation among children and women in rural communities. Strategies include formation of community-based self-protection networks and awareness-raising activities and family income generation. Protection programs are also implemented through investigation, monitoring and rescue of victimized children, rehabilitation and skills development and reintegration of child victims.

Description of Project funded by CIRCLE: The NGO's project under CIRCLE aims to achieve three objectives: (1) to raise awareness of parents and community members concerning the hazards of child labor and the value of education (2) to improve local and informal education systems (3) to build long-term sustainability of initiatives for 400 at-risk children and victims of trafficking, labor and sexual exploitation.

Through the various inputs of the project, the project aims to enable parents to identify means to lessen migration, express new knowledge about child labor prevention, and express interest in investing in education for their children. HCC expects that 400 at-risk children and victims will be enrolled in formal education and in vocational and literacy programs as a result of the CIRCLE project. In terms of mechanisms for sustainability, there will be 10 functional school-based prevention networks and six functional community support systems that will continuously raise awareness about specific child rights issues and identify ways to protect children; and monitor migration and other related concerns as a preventive strategy.

Project Targets (Common Indicators):
Enrollment: 400 at-risk children and victims of trafficking for labor and sexual exploitation (200 in formal schools; 200 in vocational and literacy programs)
Persistence: 200 retained; 180 in formal education will pass to another level
Transition: 20 will move into a non-CIRCLE funded educational program
Completion: 380 (200 in formal program and 180 in vocational skills training)