A Family Again

Phnom Penh, Cambodia – Rushed to the hospital for emergency care, 14 year old *Kimly’s life was on the line after going through repeated physical abuse by her stepmother. Her life was saved by a neighbor’s call to the police and with the intervention of the Department of Social Affairs, Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation (DoSVY). 

Kimly came from a broken family. Her parents were divorced and both remarried—her mother settled in Pursat while she came to live with her father and stepmother in Phnom Penh.

Kimly was referred by DoSVY to Mith Samlanh where a social worker (one of our #everydayheroes) looked after her and walked her through the recovery process. She was given temporary refuge at Mith Samlanh’s Transitional Home in August 2022. 

Little by little, she began her slow journey to recovery at Mith Samlanh. She attended counseling sessions and joined the non-formal education classes at Mith Samlanh Education Center. At the center, she made friends with her classmates and was active in her English and computer classes. 

Meanwhile, the team were looking at ways that Kimly could be reintegrated into a caring family environment. Reuniting her with her family was a bit of a challenge as Kimly still suffered from post traumatic stress from the abusive home. She did not want to live with her father nor her grandparents, for the fear that she would see her stepmother again. Fortunately, Kimly’s mother and father visited her at Mith Samlanh. Her mother wanted Kimly to come and live with her. She (Kimly’s mother) had a steady job as a garment factory worker and had been living in a small rental room in Chom Chao, Phnom Penh. Kimly decided to go and live with her mother.

The Mith Samlanh Russey Keo team facilitated Kimly’s placement back to her mother’s care and assisted in registering her enrolment in a nearby high school. Mith Samlanh also provided a bicycle for Kimly to use for school. After some time, Kimly decided to live with her aunt in the same village where she was able to have more space to continue her studies. 

Nowadays, Kimly is regularly attending school. Mith Samlanh continues to monitor her and her family’s condition to ensure that Kimly will be able to continue her studies without fail. 

To support the work of our #everydayheroes at Mith Samlanh and Friends-International, visit www.friends-international.org/donate

*name changed for privacy