Future Hopes

How we ensure ‘Futures for Families’!

This story is about Ros*, who is in his late 50’s and comes from Phnom Penh, Cambodia. A few years ago he moved with his wife and five children to Poipet, on the Cambodia/Thailand border. There, they hoped to improve their lives by setting up a small business selling noodles. They worked hard, but unfortunately the family faced serious challenges. Two of their children began using drugs. Fearing for them in this environment, Ros closed the business and moved the family back to Phnom Penh.

Back home, they used their savings to rent a house and looked to reopen another small business. Through Damnok Toek, a partner in the Cambodian child protection network 3PC, they were referred to a Mith Samlanh case manager. Mith Samlanh is the Friends-International program in the capital. They assessed the family’s needs and provided psychosocial support, school materials, and bicycles to help the children continue their education.

Then, they connected Ros with an officer from Futures, the Friends employment project. He wanted to explore his real dream. Restarting a business to support his family. From Futures, he received wide-ranging support. This included career counselling, soft‑skills training, and small‑business coaching. The coaching covered planning, location, hygiene, budgeting, marketing, customer communication, and product quality – an all-round approach!

With this support, Ros successfully launched a new food and drink stall. That business now earns $70 plus per day, all of which helps support the family and has stabilised their lives.

Ros is deeply grateful for the help that supported them through a difficult time and allowed them to rebuild. However, he still has high hopes for his family.  He wants to ensure that life for them all will continue to improve and that his children and grandchildren will stay in school and have brighter futures.

So, there we have an example of a wide range of support provided to Ros and his family. Education and psychological support for the children, plus a diversity of training for Ros to ensure his business venture would thrive, so he could then better support his family.

Help us to build even more ‘Futures For Families’!

From now until end January your donation will be matched to have an even greater impact!

Go to www.friends-international.org/donate

*name changed for privacy