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Cambodia
Working with children against exploitative labour
“Approaches that build the capacity
of children build hope.”
Young Cambodian girl scavenging
for scraps on a garbage dump
Photo: Jon Warren
Background
Child protection concerns identified
Children from marginalised urban
communities in many of Asia’s cities spend
much time on the streets scavenging or
begging. Adding to the risks inherent in being
poor, the nature of this work often places
these children’s health and safety at risk, and
many of these children are at high risk of
abuse and exploitation. The International
Labour Organization states that child labour
globally is believed to be increasing and
becoming more harmful. 1
World Vision has responded to the needs
of street children and working children in
Phnom Penh, Cambodia, since 1993. In
Cambodia, there are over 1,000 children
who live on the street and 10–15,000 who go
on to the streets regularly to work or beg.
The pervasiveness and visibility of child
labour in Cambodia is linked to the country’s
relatively young population, with 52% of the
population aged under 18. In one poor urban
community of 36,238 people, for example,
there are 19,221 children under 18 years old.
World Vision Cambodia works directly
with street children and also, where
appropriate, links with other services and
businesses that assist children in building their
future. Research, partnerships, project
implementation and reviews have been
1
Regional Working Group on Child Labour, Improving Action-Oriented Research on the Worst Forms of Child Labour, 1999
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