Cambodia

Cambodia is located in Southeast Asia, bordering Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam. It has an estimated population of around 16 million people. According to the World Bank, Cambodia remains the poorest Asian Country by Gross National Income. The capital, Phnom Penh, is one of the most populated cities in the Asia Pacific region.

12.3 million people, or around 70 percent of the population in Cambodia, don’t have access to running water. Lack of sanitation, education, and healthcare are all symptoms of poverty that contribute to a limited life expectancy, with around 32 percent of children under the age of 5 being malnourished.

Approximately 90 percent of Cambodia’s impoverished population live in rural areas, where the primary industry is agriculture. However, agriculture alone can’t sustain everyone. Many families resort to child labor, human trafficking, and sex labor as a means of survival. Most children are illiterate and work low-income jobs such as construction, farming, or fishing to help support their family’s income. Young adults often fall into a vicious cycle of alcohol/drug abuse and don’t have the time or resources to obtain the necessary education for more lucrative work. We provide free preschool and after-school classes, vocational training, foster care, and other social services to impoverished children and youths in Kandal Province, Cambodia. Kandal Province completely surrounds the capital Phnom Penh. The province is also a part of the greater Phnom Penh Metropolitan Area with more than a million people living in the area. MAPC supports the children and families in three villages, Prek BongKong, Prek Lvea, and Prek Ta Kov.