J1091N Hospitality Development Program
Cambodia, Southeast Asia
In partnership with Spoons Cambodia Organisation
The Situation
SPOONS students range in age from 18-24. Many are orphans and have lost parents to murder, AIDS, malaria, and lack of professional medical treatment. Most are living below the poverty line (ie. sharing small huts with a dozen family members or experiencing hunger and lack of nutrition). Some are former victims of sexual abuse and others have worked in factories in hazardous conditions or illegally in Thailand. We target populations who are most in need. They are often young adults who have dropped out of school and who come from marginalized backgrounds. We consider factors such as schooling levels of the individual/family, parent’s mortality, family size, the issuance of a National Poor identification card, and the family assets (including the type of and size of house, land size, number of motorbikes, bikes, cows, pigs, and water buffalo). Most students coming from rural areas have worked manually harvesting rice or as laborers on construction sites, and it’s common for parents to sign contracts to send their children away to neighboring countries for factory jobs.
The Objectives
- SPOONS targets the hospitality industry as a sustainable means for young adults to lift themselves out of poverty. We provide the skills to connect eager students with their future potential as hospitality professionals so they may live independently.
- By providing educational and vocational training opportunities, SPOONS strives to prepare young adults to become the next generation of hospitality managers and executives in Cambodia.
- SPOONS Cambodia’s Hospitality Development Program creates economic opportunities for disadvantaged Cambodia youth through training in the hospitality and tourism sector. The HDP utilises a comprehensive approach with an emphasis on life skills development. Importantly, for our students who come from disadvantaged backgrounds, all tuition, room and board, and other associated costs are free. Each student receives a monthly stipend, as well as support in learning to budget for their expenses.
J1091N