Sao Sary Foundation- Kampong Speu based NGO June 29, 2015Sao Sary Foundation (SSF) was founded in 2006 by Vichetr Uon and was officially recognised by the national government of the Kingdom of Cambodia as a non-profit organization in 2007. SSF is fully registered with the Ministry of Interior (MOI) of the Kingdom of Cambodia as a Non-Governmental Organization (Registration No. 192SCN dating 14/2/2007). SSF is also in the process of signing a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Social Affairs, Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation (MOSVY) of the Kingdom of Cambodia as well as a CCC NGO Good Practice Project certification. The name of the organisation was chosen as a memorial for Vichetr’s father, Mr. Sao Sary who was assassinated in 1998. With the lost of his father, Vichetr had been fostered by an Australian family. With the support of his Australian foster family, Vichetr was able to graduate with a degree from the University of Science in Cambodia. SSF believes in a proactive approach in protecting children from any form of violence, exploitation and abuse. Rather than waiting until it’s too late, SSF strives to identify at risk children and provide sustainable assistance to both the children and their families. So far, SSF’s reach is limited to the province of Kampong Speu, identified by the World Bank (2009) as one of the poorest province in Cambodia. To achieve its goals, SSF has undertaken activities related to issues of water and sanitation, food security, sponsoring children to go to school, providing English and Computer literacy, agricultural and micro-business coaching, provision of food and shelter to vulnerable children, introduction of developmental and income-generating projects, and also a pilot project on reintegration of Cerebral Palsied individuals into society. Mostly, SSF works with communities on the ground-level through direct and active engagement with them within their homes. For their children, they are engaged through SSF’s base of operations where they are sheltered and given additional lessons out of school. You can find out more at ssf.org.kh.