HEALTHCARE CENTER FOR CHILDREN

--- PRESS RELEASE ---

Campaign for World Day Against Child Labor in

Prey Veng Province

6 June 2008

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia: A campaign for World Day Against Child Labor will take place in Preah Sdach district, Prey Veng province on 12 June2008. The awareness raising campaign is being conducted by a local NGO Healthcare Center for Children (HCC) as part of the CHES project (Children’s Empowerment through Education Services) funded by the United States Department of Labor (USDOL)

The event is also being supported by Anesvad. “The global theme of this year is “Education: The Right Response to Child Labor,” HCC Executive Director Ms Sotheary (“Terri”) Ly said, “Campaigns that raise awareness about the Worst Forms of child labor to those who are the most vulnerable are vital in efforts to eliminate the hazardous child labor in agriculture by sending all children to school.”

“The campaign will also focus on promoting the importance education through key anti-human trafficking messages, especially highlighting the importance of protecting women and children from sexual, labor and other forms of exploitation”.

The highlight of the campaign will be a night concert where an anticipated audience of over 1000 local people is expected to attend. The stage performance will consist of an educational comedy show lead by famous comedian Mr Phloy and his acting troop, children’s dancing/singing competitions and games, and a quiz show on child rights and child labor where prizes will be awarded to contestants and speeches by honored guests. Activities that will take place during the day include a lively procession of 150 school children from local Child Youth Clubs(CYC), 75 key local people from Child Labor Monitoring Committees(CLMC), 10 village childcare mothers, 30 girls and young women from HCC’s Good Day Center shelter and HCC staff who will march pass Trea Market loudly chanting key anti-child labor and anti-human trafficking messages.

The procession will conclude at a central meeting point where a forum will be held to educate local people about the Worst Forms of child labor and the importance of education. Taking part in this special forum will include Preah Sdact District Governor, Provincial Director of Education, Youth and Sport, Provincial Director of Social Affaires, Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation and other relevant departments, key district officials from all relevant offices, commune council and other National and International NGO representatives. “Prey Veng is an area with a high incidents of child labor, especially in subsistence agriculture, and therefore the Children’s Empowerment through Education Service (CHES) project plays an important role in spreading important messages regarding WFCL to a large number of people in the province”, Ms Ly said. “The CHES project hopes to target child laborers by withdrawing them from WFCL and supporting them in formal and non-formal education classes or vocational skill training courses”.

HCC’s WDACL campaign is taking place west of Trea Market to Bromo Prum Secondary School, Angkor Reach Commune, Preah Sdach District. The procession will take place between 11:00 AM andl 9:30 PM (with a 1.5 hour break for snack and dinner).

Note to the editors:

About HCC

Established in 1998, HCC is a non-profit, non-partisan, non-religious and local nongovernmental

organization that works to protect the rights of children and women who are vulnerable to trafficking, sexual abuse or labor exploitation. HCC has been operating community based human rights protection programs in Prey Veng province since 2002 and has a field office based in Prey Veng town staffed by 4 HCC field workers.

About CHES Project

The objective of CHES Project is to reduce the number of children engaged in exploitive child labor in subsistence and commercial agriculture in Cambodia. Over a four years period, the CHES project will withdraw and prevent children from hazardous child labor in subsistence and commercial agriculture, including fresh water fishing, in 150 villages in Siem Reap, Pursat, Kampong Cham and Prey Veng provinces.

The CHES project is funded by United States Department of Labor (USDOL) and is being implemented in Cambodia by Winrock International in partnership with Cambodian NGOs Wathnakpheap (in Siem Reap and Pursat) and Healthcare Center for Children (HCC) (in Prey Veng) and with the ILO and International Program on the Elimination of Child Labor.

About World Day Against Child Labor

The World Day Against Child Labor is a global event held on June 12 every year aimed at mobilizing people around the world against child labour and its worst forms, reflecting local cultures and customs, while encouraging the participation of authorities, the media, civil society and the public at large.

For further information please contact:

Mr Sok Sopha, Project Officer, HCC (fluent in Khmer) on:

              023 212 133         (office)

              012 777 454         (mobile)

              hcc.po@online.com.kh (email)

Ms. Ly Sotheary (“Terri”), Executive Director, HCC (fluent in Khmer and English) on:

              023 212 133         (office)

              012 252 779         (mobile)

              hcc.ed@online.com.kh (email)