AsiaLIFE

This year, Friends International marks its 15th anniversary of providing protection and positive opportunities for kids. Founder Sébastien Marot talks to Mai Lynn Miller Nguyen about how the ChildSafe Network is getting the community involved.

You’re sitting along the riverside, when suddenly a skinny little girl approaches you. She might not say a word, but she nudges the tray of books she carries closer to you. Her clothes are tattered and her feet are bare. What should you do?

“The natural tendency is to feel pity and buy whatever they have to offer,” says Sébastien Marot, international coordinator and a co-founder of Friends International. “The consequence is that you are maintaining the kids where they are. It’s paving the way for abuse now, and further abuse later. Eight years old, in the middle of the night selling flowers is never a good idea. Then, when she hits fifteen, she hasn’t been to school, and she has no skills. What’s left?”

For the past 15 years, Friends has made caring for marginalized children its mission. One of Friends’ initiatives is the ChildSafe Network. Launched in 2005, ChildSafe empowers members of society to protect urban children and youth from all forms of abuse. Initially created in Phnom Penh, implemented by Mith Samlanh, the network has now extended across the world.

Friends initially developed an alliance of NGOs and government agencies committed to helping children, but perceived that creating safe environments needs wider participation. Sébastien says, “We realized that we were forgetting the most important partners we could have in protecting children—the community.”

The ChildSafe Network invokes societal responsibility. When people asked Sébastien what Friends would do for children they’d observed as needing help, he asked them what they themselves were doing. “It’s not because they don’t care,” explains Sébastien. “When you don’t know what to do, you turn a blind eye to a situation.”

Taxi, tuk tuk and motorcycle drivers made up the first group to receive tailored training in how to recognize and respond to children at risk. As ChildSafe members, their pledges include looking out for kids who are sick or hurt, transporting those who need assistance, and refusing to aid customers who are exploiting children.

The network now also works with staff from selected hotels, restaurants, and travel agencies, among other businesses identified as having close contact with children at risk or the people who may potentially harm them. ChildSafe forces people to consider how their behaviour can have either positive or negative impact.

Network members must comply with ongoing training, monitoring, and evaluation in order to keep their ChildSafe status. Members are not paid to participate. Instead, the network relies on its social marketing techniques to create further incentives for membership. Increased visibility for ChildSafe tends to raise the income of its members.

The ChildSafe hotline allows callers to report any situation in which children need intervention. The referral system relays details to the relevant organisations and services, or dispatches its emergency team if the partners cannot take immediate action.

Besides programmes focused on residents of Cambodia, ChildSafe has also devised tips for travellers. Orphanage tourism is the subject of its upcoming campaign, but the most prominent challenge continues to be child vendors. If children are more likely to generate income for the family, parents can start to rely on their labour—it’s an effective business strategy.

“People will do crazy things in order to get your pity,” remarks Sébastien. “I’ve had to take babies away from mothers who were starving them on purpose to make money. It is so frustrating. I see these people give money and I know that the mother is going to continue this, despite everything that we are doing.”

ChildSafe is trying to break that system. Sébastien remarks that there are several NGO and government projects in Cambodia that offer assistance to children and families. However, children are less convinced to accept these services and work towards a better future when they know how selling or begging brings in easy money.

“Stop buying from children,” says Sébastien. “It works because you buy. Instead, support the adults to support the children, not the children to support the adults.”

How else can you assist ChildSafe? One way to reinforce the network is by giving your business to people and places declared as ChildSafe. Get involved; contribute to organisations and services that help children and families. Take action if you see children who are being mistreated or are vulnerable to future abuse. The easiest response is to report the situation to the hotline.

Last but not least, spread the word. Everyone plays a role in protecting children, including you. As Sébastien says, “This is something that you start.”

ChildSafe Network. For more information see www.childsafe-international.org. Report children in danger: Phnom Penh Hotline 012 311 112, Siem Reap Hotline 017 358 758, Sihanoukville Hotline 012 478 100.