Aziza's Place Welcomes 22nd Resident Child

Say 'Hello!' to Ream, Age 10

On 12 September, Aziza's Place welcomed 10 year old Ream to the family.  Ream has seamlessly morphed into life at AP, quickly making friends and finding mentors in the older boys. He is eager to learn and wants to try out all of AP's extracurricular activities. He says he is most excited to learn how to use a computer and has never used one before.

     Ream previously lived in a dilapidated shanty house in one of the most slummy parts of the Steung Meanchey dump site. He was fortunate to have his first grade public school education sponsored by People Improvement Organization (PIO), a local NGO serving children in the Steung Meanchy community. But, in order to help make ends meet, Ream would have to pick through trash for recyclables in the afternoons with his older siblings. His single-mother works strenuous hours in a garment factory and so Ream and his siblings were charged with cooking meals for themselves everyday.

     His family is already a big part of Aziza's Place. AP resident Sreypov is Ream's aunt and Sreypov's older sister, Sreymom is also part of the AP team working as a weekend caretaker for the children. Ream's mother is active in the AP Community Outreach program and is invested in making sure her children have a bright future. AP is a great match for Ream and his strong desire to learn. We look forward to watching him grow in our program over the years to come.

Breaking the Cycle of Poverty: AP Hires Fathers as Security Guards

On December 1, the fathers of two residents began employment as night guards at Aziza’s Place. The two men will take weekly shifts providing a watchful eye over their children. Both were formerly working full time as garbage scavengers at the municipal dumpsite and on the streets during the graveyard shift.


AP staff is working closely with the security guards and their families to shape a plan of action to reach their aspiration of completely ending dependency on the trash. With the added income of this part time position they will have the opportunity to save money and will have help from AP to locate job training elsewhere. Improving the quality of life for AP families is a continuing priority of our program.

Steung Meanchey Dumpsite Closes: Residents Evaluate Long Term Options

After 40 years as Phnom Penh’s municipal waste disposal site, the Steung Meanchey landfill has closed its doors to the city’s trash. Word came from a Steung Meanchey resident on July 25 who confirmed that dump trucks had ceased disposing of trash there. Families dependent on picking trash are left with few options in the wake of this news. One choice is to relocate their home to land closer to the new dumpsite in Choeung Ek, over 15km outside of Phnom Penh. Another option is to spend the one way fare of 2,000 riel (equivalent to US 50 cents) on a moto taxi to go and pick trash at the new dumpsite each day. A final choice is to eke out a living out of picking trash from the street. It is frustrating to see the lack of sustainable aid and resource for those losing their jobs. Aziza’s Place is assessing the needs of each individual family affected by the closure. We are also working with local NGOs to search for sustainable, alternative means to provide our families with a source of income. Photo: A boy dismantles his home in front of the dumpsite.