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AUSTRALIAN MARIST
CENTRE FOR OVERSEAS
AID |
YODIFEE
Youth
With Disabilities Foundation for
Education and Employment
Cambodia
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 During the Khmer Rouge regime (1975-1979), most
of Cambodia’s professional and
educated people were murdered by Pol Pot and his forces. These included
doctors, nurses and other medical personnel. Hospitals and clinics were
destroyed.
Today in Cambodia, thousands of physically disabled
young people are amongst the main victims of the inferior state of the
country’s
health and medical facilities. Their handicaps are varied and include
polio,
cerebral palsy, congenital defects and landmine injuries.
YODIFEE is a Cambodian non-governmental
organization,
based in Takhmao in the Kandal district, that seeks to empower young
Cambodians
with disabilities through education and training, leading to employment
and
self sufficiency. Yodifee grew out of LaValla Primary School for children with
physical disabilities, a school created and run by the Marist Brothers.
It was
felt that there was a need to help the youth who had graduated from
LaValla
school. Many of these young people were struggling to become
self-sufficient
even though they had received a basic education. Yodifee was
established in 2002,
through funds received from MMC, in order to try and address these needs.
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Villa
Maria
In 2005, MMC funded the
purchase of land at Takmao on the outskirts of Phnom Penh and the subsequent construction of a one-level
complex providing a simple but dignified home for the youth of YODIFEE.
‘Villa
Maria’ was blessed by Bishop Emile Destombes on Dec 14, 2006.
Villa Maria is a family home for physically disabled young people,
particularly
those who are from poor or broken
families, who have been abandoned, are orphans, or whose families live
far away
from any schools. In 2009, 62 children
stayed at Villa Maria and attended a nearby school each day. Students
also
attended English and computer classes at Villa Maria. Significant
funding
support came from the Glynn Concert Committee, Nara Prefecture, Japan.
MMC is committed to continuing support for the children of YODIFEE and
other
youngsters with disabilities in Cambodia.
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YODIFEE
Farm
In 2004, MMC and YODIFEE began the
development of a model training farm for disabled youth in Battambang Province, Western Cambodia. Here, disabled young adults learn modern
skills in pig, chicken and
duck farming and as well as vegetable and fish production. Battambang
Yodifam
is now running self-sufficiently.
Following on from the successful
establishment of Battambang Farm, a second farm was developed in
Kampot. This
farm is now also almost fully operational.
Income from the training farms is used
to help make the project self-supporting.
Youth grow vegetables for human and
animal consumption. A small clinic and daycare centre also operate from
the
training farm for poor, disadvantaged neighbours.
Where possible, YODIFEE uses organic processes
to
protect the environment.
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YODICRAFT
Yodicraft is the business branch of Yodifee.
Established in
2007, YODICRAFT aims to achieve three main goals - to provide income
for
Yodifee thus ensuring the sustainability of its work, to provide
training and
employment opportunities for youth with disabilities, and to showcase
the
talents of these youths.
Yodicraft established seven workshops, or business venture shops, which
employ
young disabled Cambodians in the areas of art, sewing, electronic
repair,
hairdressing, motorbike repair and retail.
In July 2009, four of the business venture
shops were
handed over to the trainers to run independently. These shops are now
self-sufficient and do not require any further funding from the
project, which
is a great success for Yodicraft.
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Schooling
Assistance Program (SAP)
This project provides
schooling support to target students to motivate them to remain at
school,
attend school regularly and work hard at their studies. 350 children
and young
people from primary school up to university age received support
enabling them
to buy a school uniform and any other necessary study materials, and to
pay for
tuition and transport costs. Yodifee social workers visit each student
four
times per year to monitor their progress and evaluate their funding
needs.
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