This Life New Horizons
“Care leavers feel isolated, they have difficulties forming relationships with others, and are scared and embarrassed to tell their story. They don’t know that their story is empowering to other people to overcome their trauma that they faced at the orphanage. They don’t know that their story will somehow be a voice to help save other care leavers who have had similar experiences and to advocate for change.”
Program Description
This Life Cambodia (TLC) has been working in Siem Reap Province since 2007 with various programs for improving a better future. The This Life New Horizons (TLNH) program has been implemented in the three provinces including Siem Reap , Banteay Meanchey and Kompong Thom.
The overall goal of the program is that care leavers are brought together voluntarily to achieve their full potential. Access to education, shared experiences, knowledge, counseling, mentorship, and other support will be provided. Once the groups are established, and leaders identified from among the care leavers, the Care leavers will construct a platform from which to voice their unique perspective, disseminate knowledge of their rights , and be supported to develop skills through training and mentorship (vocational training, employment assistance, and job placement as well as awareness raising techniques) to help them develop and prosper .
Program Aim
To strengthen Capacity and Knowledge of Care Leavers where former RCI residents are brought together voluntarily to achieve their full potential. Access to education, shared experiences, knowledge, counseling, mentorship, and other support will be provided.
Program Outcomes
- Three groups of engaged care leavers are established to provide support, mentoring, counselling, and to give a collective voice to marginalised youth. Care leavers in the targeted provinces are connected and linked up together to support each other for a better engagement in the families and community as well as the society. Connections are also established with similar groups developed by CCT in Battambang and MRO in Phnom Penh.
- Care leavers are provided with the life skills, knowledge, mentorship and training that will enable them to become self-reliant and fully integrated in communities. This will include technical skills such as vocational training, employment assistance and job placement as well as awareness raising techniques to compliment MoSVY’s national care reform action plan.
- Care leavers are invited to share their voices and experiences in issues that affect them based on their age and evolving capacity and to raise awareness around care reform at sub-national and national levels in collaboration with government bodies, FCF|REACT partners and other stakeholders including existing care leaver groups across Cambodia.
Program Development Outcomes
- This Life New Horizons model is recognised locally by donor community and NGO networks who work and support the best practice in care reform and transforming knowledge for care leavers whose experiences their life in the RCIs.
- Expansion of the program to additional provinces in CambodiaFamilies capacity increased to raise their children in a family nurturing environment
- Increase reduction of children living in residential care institutions through local authorities after receiving the training package.
- Province/District/Women and Children Counsel Committee, Commune council for Women and Children, local authorities , RCIs and NGOs are aware of the care leaver group engagement and act in accordance with legislative frameworks with a child protection, pro-care leaver approach that promotes family-based care
- Care leavers increase capacity building and knowledge and they are confident and self-reliant with a good setting in the community.
The TLNH program provide the services base on the the criteria as follow:
- Care Leavers whose age ranges from 14 to 30 and after officially reintegrated from the residential care can enroll in the program.
- Care Leavers who left the residential care institution within the past three year can enroll for the program
.