Our story
Cambodian Children’s Trust (CCT) was co-founded by Jedtha Pon and Tara Winkler in 2007 to rescue 14 children from an abusive orphanage in Battambang, Cambodia. Since then, CCT has evolved from a rescue approach to a decolonisation approach that puts power in the hands of local communities to self-determine their own development, leading to sustainable systems-change.
Learn more
The problem: downstream models
Across the world, child protection systems are over-invest in downstream, end-stage interventions. Downstream development results in children falling into “the system” where they are subjected to trauma that stays with them for life.
Take a deep dive
The solution: look upstream…
CCT invests in upstream development. Our Village Hive approach prioritises prevention and early intervention and integrates programs into public systems in Cambodian villages to prevent early-childhood trauma and achieve lasting systemic change.
At only $10 per person, per annum it is a cost-effective model for Cambodian communities.
Learn more about the Village Hive
THE PILOT
Shifting the power
CCT is working to integrate the Village Hive prevention services into public systems and facilities where it will be owned and operated by the local community, paving an exit pathway for CCT and building an evidence base for scalable social protection system.
Learn more about our exit strategy
Our track record
Over the last 15 years, countless families have reached self-reliance and exited our programs, our social enterprise restaurant Jaan Bai is run by local Khmer youth and our computing program has been fully integrated into the national curriculum and is delivered by the public education system.
Actionable exit strategies are built into all we do. Our success is defined by our work living on in the hands of the community to create sustainable, systemic change.
Learn more about our track record
Life-changing stories
Ride Along with CCT Social Workers on the ground, putting the unique model into action.
