The elders in our community are bringing back traditions, mentoring students, and raising children who have no one else. That’s why we call them our yeay and ta, our grannies and grandpas.
Why they’re so important to our community
Forty years ago, the Khmer Rouge came close to wiping out an entire generation of Cambodian people. This was one of the most horrific periods in the country's history, but some members of our community lived through it.
Today, these are the people who remember what Khmer culture was really like. That’s why they’re so integral to restoring lost family values, community structures, and Khmer traditions.
Your support helps our grannies guide the next generation
Grannies and grandpas pass on wisdom, values, and traditions within our community
Grannies and grandpas graduated from literacy and computer classes
Grannies are fostering abandoned and orphaned children
Meet our Grannies
These are a few of the women who bring our community together as they share their stories and pass on Khmer values to future generations. You can help a granny support her family.
Your donation will contribute to food for their families, a safe home, free healthcare, and a few trips that help them reconnect with the country they knew before the war. Each granny can have five to ten sponsors, allowing for support to extend to others throughout our community.
Grandpa Sok
Grandpa Sok is a friendly grandpa in our CCF Granny Program. He enjoys sharing life lessons and advice with junior students, encouraging them to be grateful for their opportunity with CCF and to gain as much as possible from their education. At the end of the Khmer Rouge regime he and his wife started farming a small plot of land to support their family with 7 children and struggling with daily life by living from hand to mouth.
Granny Tork La
Granny Tork La, born in 1957, lost both parents under the Pol Pot regime. After years of farming and family tragedy, she lost two of her three sons. She was left alone and propertyless. In 2021, she moved to Phnom Penh to scavenge for a living. She is now supported by the CCF Granny Program.
Granny Sok Oun
Granny Sok Oun, born in 1962, lost most of her family during the Khmer Rouge regime. After moving to Pursat, she married and had four children, but her husband passed away, leaving her to support her family alone. Joining CCF’s Granny Program has given her food, pocket money, and medical care, bringing her comfort and gratitude for Pa Scott and the CCF team.
Granny Phy Sopha
Granny Phy Sopha, lost her husband and raised five children alone. To survive, she sold vegetables and scavenged while supporting her family. Later, CCF welcomed her into the Granny Program, where she now receives rice, allowance, healthcare, and joins community activities. Today, she feels safe and cared for with CCF’s support.
Granny Sok Chea
Granny Sok Chea, moved to Phnom Penh after the Pol Pot regime. After her husband's death, she struggled to support herself and her grandchildren, who attended the Cambodian Children's Fund (CCF) school. She was accepted into the Granny Program, receiving financial and rice support, which brought stability and improved her well-being.
Granny Savy
Granny Savy was born in Phnom Penh, doing farming to make some money to support the family. Her husband died during the challenging time of the Pol Pot period. She went through so much, and luckily she could survive. In 2012, she was accepted into the Granny Program. She was very happy to be under CCF’s care, who has provided her with medical supports regularly.
The Theang treatment
When Theang joined CCF in 2014, she had long hung up her scissors. With a little persuasion, she came out of retirement. Now, Granny Theang has no intention of slowing down. She might be a grandmother of five, but she has more energy than the little ones playing in the community’s pagoda outside her makeshift salon.
Sisters Reunited
Granny Bun Sen aged 98 meets her 101-year-old sister for the first time in 47 years.
Granny Mao was one of the first CCF Granny Apsara with Granny Rin (right)
Apsara Granny
How could the traditional image of an Apsara, celebrated for youth and beauty, be redefined through ageing women? The project sought to flip this perception, celebrating the grace, dignity, and beauty that come with age.