Who are our volunteers in Cambodia

by | Who we are

After years of work in the field, years of dialogue and compromises, we have now some real experience.

Patrik Roux, NGO “AVEC” FOUNDER

Either at the shelter or through the countryside, thousands of children call him ”Papa”.
Before coming to Cambodia, “Papa” used to work with multi-handicapped people in Switzerland, helping them to find work. These activities confirmed his vocation to work for the most fragile people. Patrik works with his wife Theavy Bun. Together they are able to cope with the most awkward situations and respond to the requests for intervention from the local authorities.

Patrik Roux aime par-dessus tout apporter de l'aide et du réconfort aux familles les plus pauvres, il est un fervent défenseur de l'éducation comme facteur de changement...

Patrik Roux loves above all to bring help and comfort to the poorest families, he is a fervent defender of education as a factor of change…

THEAVY ROUX “AVEC” DIRECTOR Theavy manages the shelter and deals with the localisation of vulnerable children, talks with the families and the village headmen. Thanks to her, “AVEC” gets remarkable results in schooling.
Theavy Bun lors d’un sauvetage de quatre enfants en situation de maltraitance grave dans un village à la frontière avec la Thaïlande.

Theavy Bun during a rescue of four severely abused children in a village on the border with Thailand.

ADMINISTRATION For years Theavy did everything in the shelter. Now she is being helped by three young Cambodian academics who deal with accounting, localising the children in villages, distributing pocket money , etc…Taking care of about  40 children and following the training of  about 400 others demands very good organization
Volontaires humanitaires spécialisés dans la lutte contre la maltraitance et le trafic des enfants au Cambodge. L'ONG AVEC est une référence dans le domaine de la protection des enfants.

The whole team of volunteers of the NGO AVEC. There are the teachers, the substitute mothers, the teachers of the training centre, that’s not far from the 20 people who work for the good of abused children in Cambodia.

SEWING AND FASHION DESIGN In November 2014 a fashion designer training was launched by Jade Meyer, a Belgian fashion designer herself. She created totally new course material, as our training is a mixture between French and Cambodian ways of dress-making. The training is limited to 20 students because we have to adapt to many problems, such as illiteracy for example. Two Khmer seamstresses are now in charge of it.
Trois jeunes étudiantes stylistes-couturières qui pendant une année apprennent gratuitement un métier qui changera durablement le destin de leurs vies

Three young student fashion designers and seamstresses who, for a year, learn free of charge a trade that will change the destiny of their lives in a lasting way.

ENGLISH AND COMPUTER SCIENCE Our training centre opened in October 2014. 400 children follow English and computer science courses given by 5 young trained teachers. Every day you can hear children’s voices learning happily how to use a computer…when most of them don’t have electricity at home!
Quand on est un enfant pauvre de la campagne au Cambodge, avoir accès à l'informatique permet d'ouvrir de nouveaux horizons. Cette action fait partie de notre programme de scolarisation et de lutter contre la maltraitance des enfants.

When you are a poor rural child in Cambodia, having access to computers opens up new horizons. This action is part of our program to provide schooling and to fight against child abuse.

THE SHELTER MUMS In each room of the shelter, a Khmer mum lives and sleeps with the children. We call them “replacement mums”. These women are either widows or abandoned wives with dependent children; this is why this “job” is a good outcome for them; “AVEC” is happy to be able to offer it. Stewardship, cooking, caring of the children are their essential tasks in the shelter. Their own children go to the local school in the morning – as is the rule in Cambodia – and can come and take advantage of the shelter in the afternoon.
Les mamans de substitution qui vivent et s’occupent des enfants du refuge 24/24 sont des femmes souvent abandonnées qui vivent dans la précarité. Travailler au refuge est un nouveau départ, une nouvelle chance donnée à ces femmes courageuses.

The replacement mothers who live and take care of the children in the shelter 24 hours a day are often abandoned women living in precarious conditions. Working at the shelter is a new start, a new chance given to these courageous women.

Testimony: What we will remember about this refuge is the joy and the laughter of the children: these children who have all come back from far away, who have all lived through very difficult things, have found their childhood here again?

Nicole and Michel

Going as a couple as a volunteer in Cambodia...

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