Friends

who we are

A program for street children, their families and the community

In 1994, following the United Nations' supervised elections in Cambodia, three tourists arrived separately in Phnom Penh. They were shocked by what they saw - dozens of children sleeping on the streets and left to fend for themselves - and became deeply motivated to address this situation. They started by creating a small drop-in center and school called Mith Samlanh (meaning best friend).

what we do

Since then, we have grown into an international organization providing extensive and comprehensive services from primary education and vocational training to hygiene practices, health care, and emotional support to an average of 1,600 homeless or abandoned children per day.

As part of the training programs, we run a number of enterprises where our students work in a real business environment, learning how to manage finances, accountability in business and dealing with customers. Profits generated from these enterprises go back into our programs, and students are rewarded with an income.