Pour un Sourire d’Enfant

who we are

For the Smile of a Child

Created in 1996, Pour un Sourire d’Enfant is an NGO that aims to rescue Cambodian children who are forced to scavenge through the rubbish dumps to survive, especially around Stung Mean Chey garbage dump in Phnom Penh.

 

what we do

One of the most important roles of PSE is education. Approximately 1,000 children who have missed an important part of their schooling are given tailored education to allow them to catch up on their missing years of schooling. Around 4,000 other children are supported in public schools around the city.

In addition to education, the more urgent tasks at hand are in the areas of nutrition, hygiene and protection. Around Stung Mean Chey dumpsite, children can receive meals, showers and medical care. Additionally, because helping children without supporting their families would be ineffective, PSE provides rice to the families whose children attend school, access to temporary jobs, literacy teaching and housing for the poorest. Families also benefit from daily medical care.

Without further vocational training, unfortunately, most young adults will one day end up working at the garbage dump. Realizing this, PSE developed its own vocational training center which has since trained over 1,000 students. So far, 11 courses ranging from administrative work to gardening maintenance are offered to students. We focus on practical teaching and our restaurant Lotus Blanc, for example, has been especially created to offer students on-the-job training.