Provide women and girls education in Cambodia

With only a couple of days until 2017 we wanted to say thank you for all you've done to support us throughout 2016! There are still a couple of days to pledge your support before the year comes to a close. 

We love sharing success stories, and at WRC there are many. As you may know, we also engage men in our educational workshops as a means to strengthen positive family relationships and support gender equality.

This story about San, a recent graduate from our Parents Talk Program, is nothing short of remarkable...

San is a 34-year-old labourer, husband and father of 3 children; 2 boys and 1 girl. San didn't attend school past first grade.

San had a troubling upbringing, with an abusive father he was terrified of. His childhood memories are laying in bed shaking with fear hearing his drunk father arriving home each night. As a child, San always told himself he would never be like his father. Sadly, San's father was his most influential role model and San has been abusive to his own children; beating, pinching and threatening them. San knew he wasn't being a good father, but he didn't know how to be a father.

This year, San attended our Parent Talks Workshop and San can't believe the changes he has been able to make since learning about the responsibilities of a parent. San now spends quality time with his children to play, explore, chat about their concerns and listen to his children when they need him. With a tear in his eye, San explains how his children feel "very close" to him because he "no longer beats them". 

The pride San feels since becoming a "good father" is encapsulated when he told us, "my children will now have a happy life - a different life - not the same as my experience".

Thank you for supporting our programs throughout 2016, providing education to women, girls, children and their families. Without you, people like San, and his children would be going to bed angry and afraid, instead of happy, healthy and full of love.