M’Lop Tapang

who we are

 

Supporting positive choices and giving hope to street children and their families

M'Lop in Khmer means protection. Tapang is the name of a tree that provides shelter and protection, under which homeless children in Sihanoukville used to seek refuge at night. So it's fitting that a charity dedicated to reintegrating street children back to society is called M'Lop Tapang. It was these children who became the first friends of M'Lop Tapang when we started in 2003.

what we do

 

Our goal is to offer support, protection, positive choices and hope to street children and their families. We aim to reintegrate street children back into education, their families and their community, allowing them to lead happy independent lives again, while giving them access to learning tools, resources, and opportunities to empower themselves.

Our work currently reaches over 600 children through a range of support services, ranging from life skills education, counseling and medical care to lessons in safe forms of income generation, sports activities and creative skills training. In addition, we believe in the children's right to play and be a child, by encouraging children and youth to develop their own creative expression through drama, art, circus, music and dance. We offer free services to street children through various channels including an outreach program, a night-time shelter, a 24-hour drop-in center for youth wanting to quit drugs, community shelters and playgrounds in the slums, and a mobile library.