Organization
Global Child Cambodia
The Global Child (TGC) is a nonprofit that runs a school for children from poor families in Siem Reap, Cambodia, with its administration in New York.[1] Its Khmer name is កុមារពិភពលោក.[2] The school began with children who worked on the streets of Phnom Penh and now also serves children from families in extreme poverty.[3]
History
The Global Child grew out of a conversation in 2003 between the filmmaker Allan Scott-Moncrieff and the retail executive Judy Wheeler. Scott-Moncrieff had just returned from filming a documentary in Cambodia, where he had met children living on the streets of Phnom Penh. The idea of paying a family one dollar a day so that a child could attend school became the basis of the organization.[3][2]
The Global Child School opened in Phnom Penh on May 17, 2004, with 11 students and a few staff members. In the weeks that followed, 15 more children were chosen, bringing the first class to 26 students, 13 boys and 13 girls.[2][3] The school filled a three-story building. A café on the ground floor sold coffee, snacks and crafts by local artists, and its profits went to the school. Above it were classrooms, a rooftop garden and a safe house for students with no secure home. Each child received three meals a day and a clean uniform. The school hired Cambodian staff and built ties with local government officials.[3]
By 2008 life in Phnom Penh had become less stable, and the whole school, with its students, staff and some guardians, moved to Siem Reap.[3] The Siem Reap campus has two buildings, one for classes and one that houses students and staff. Most students now live with their families.[3] The Cooperation Committee for Cambodia lists the organization as an international nongovernmental organization and a U.S. 501(c)(3), with its headquarters in Newport, Vermont, and its school in Ou Thum Village, Sala Kamraeuk Commune, Siem Reap.[2]
Programs
Students receive a bilingual education, daily meals, mentorship and training in life skills.[1] The curriculum follows Cambodia's national standards and adds English, technology, arts, music, soccer and traditional dance.[4] The organization supports its students from primary school through university or vocational training, and provides housing, health care, clothing and school supplies.[4] Its leadership program combines mentorship, sports and service projects.[4] Donations support classrooms, scholarships, leadership training and community outreach.[5]
The one-dollar-a-day sponsorship still gives families financial relief, so that children can stay in school instead of working.[1] Students are paid the subsidy weekly, tied to their attendance, and the school teaches them to manage the money for home projects or savings.[2] A student sponsorship covers tuition, meals, supplies and mentorship.[5] The organization says it pays no U.S.-based salaries, rent or administrative overhead, and that it runs on volunteers and in-kind support.[5]
Beyond the school, community programs offer mentorship, emergency aid, livelihood training and financial literacy, through projects such as the Community for Distance Learning Initiative and the Livelihood Project.[4] The organization also teaches health and hygiene and supports access to clean water in schools and communities.[1]
Community
As of 2026, more than 100 students had completed their education through The Global Child, and the organization says every graduate has gone on to university or trade school.[5] It says its outreach, education and support have served more than 6,000 community members across Cambodia.[5][1]
Sopheak Pon joined the school in 2013, after setting aside her own schooling to help her family. She graduated in 2022 with a scholarship to study business management at Build Bright University. "TGC is not only a second family but serves as a bridge to my future," she said.[5] Another graduate, Sokmao, entered the school in 2004. He went on to study at the Paul DuBrule School for Hospitality and Tourism in Siem Reap and later appeared in 15 episodes of MasterChef Khmer.[1]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 The Global Child, Who we are
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Cooperation Committee for Cambodia, NGO directory entry for The Global Child
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 The Global Child, Our story
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 The Global Child, What we do
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 The Global Child, home page