EnGender

The Steung Meanchey garbage dump, workplace and home to one of Cambodia’s most disenfranchised populations, ceased commercial operation in 2009.

As the sole source of income for thousands of subsistence workers, the closure symbolized the end of an era - and the beginning of a new set of challenges. But where some saw obstacles, CCF saw opportunity, a chance to offer area women new economic empowerment, health and security.

The EnGender project is, at its core, specialized vocational training for Steung Meanchey mothers who have children enrolled in CCF’s Education Program. The majority of these women are abuse survivors with limited education. Within this project mothers not only receive paid, hands-on training as seamstresses, but they also have free health care, sick leave, monthly rice benefits and performance bonuses. They are taught money management skills, such as budgeting and savings building, and are joined weekly by one of CCF’s counselors and legal advocates to participate in open discussion groups about the entrenched domestic problems of violence and substance abuse.

Transitioning from manual labor to a structured work environment often takes substantial patience and dedication. We’re proud to see these remarkable mothers expanding the boundaries of their potential, and we’re confident that they will soon become strong voices within their families and communities.