Cambodia
HAPPY FOOTBALL CAMBODIA AUSTRALIA
HFCA was founded in 2005 to work with underprivileged young people in Cambodia through football. On a regular basis they work with some 400 young people in the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh and the northern city of Siem Reap.
Their three partner organisations in Cambodia work with young people who come from families who are living in extreme poverty, children who have been orphaned, lived on dumps or rescued from brothels or other forms of slavery.
HFCA’s weekly training sessions and competitions are attended by male and female players aged 12 to 30. Most of their coaching staff are former Homeless World Cup players.
Country statistics
144 out of 189 in Human Development Index rankings (UNDP, 2019)
$1,490 Average annual salary per person (World Bank, 2021)
37% of the population live under the poverty line (UNDP, 2019)
With a population of 16 million (WFP, 2021), Cambodia is a predominantly rural country located in Southeast Asia, between Thailand, Vietnam, and Laos. Due to political conflict between 1975 and 1979 an estimated 1.5-2 million people were killed or died because of starvation, disease, or overwork – about 25% of the population (CIA Factbook, 2018).
Driven by the search for work, education, or marriage, Cambodia is a country of migration. Internal migration to urban areas is the most common, with men working mainly in construction and women working in garment factories. While international migration is less common, it is common for illegal migration using brokers. This has led to increased human trafficking, including forced labour and sex trafficking (CIA Factbook, 2018).
Even with sustained economic growth over the past 20 years, 15% of people in Cambodia are under-nourished and 32% of children under 5 are stunted. With 79% of the population living in rural areas they are heavily affected by climate change, which threaten the food system and contribute to undernutrition. Cambodia is ranked eight most vulnerable country to natural disasters (WFP, 2021).
One study found more than 4,000 children were homeless in seven of Cambodia’s cities (CPC Network, 2017).
Two out of three Cambodians need decent, affordable housing. Cambodia needs to build an additional 1 million homes by 2030 in order to meet demands of a booming population (Habitat for Humanity, 2021).
STORIES From the region
