By Rin Ousa Cambodianess Tuesday, August 12, 2025

Displaced families merrily watching the art performance by the Phare Ponleu Selpak team. Photo by Phare Ponleu Selpak

PHNOM PENH – In the wake of deadly clashes on the Cambodia–Thailand border, children uprooted from their homes are facing not only physical displacement but also the invisible wounds of war. To help them heal, the NGO Phare Ponleu Selpak has opened two art- and education-based activity camps, offering safe spaces for creativity, learning, and emotional recovery.

The camps are located at Wat Po 500 and Wat Kiri Toul Andet pagodas in Kulen district, Preah Vihear province.

Van Ponlork, marketing and communications manager at Phare Ponleu Selpak, said the initiative aims to help children feel safe while empowering their families to cope with the ongoing crisis.

“Through artistic activities, we provide circus, theater, dance, and music workshops, along with drawing and painting sessions,” Ponlork explained. “These are designed to build creativity, communication, and concentration skills.”

The team also runs small libraries and organizes play-based learning such as construction games and group activities.

Recognizing the importance of child protection, nutrition, and hygiene, Phare offers workshops on personal safety, dental care, healthy eating, and waste management. Families also receive supplementary food for children, along with hygiene kits containing detergent, toothbrushes, and toothpaste.

Ponlork said the work has been deeply moving for the team.

“We felt we could give in the way we know best—using the arts to bring joy, connection, relief, and a sense of belonging,” she said. “Seeing children smile and hearing them laugh reminded us of our shared humanity.”

Families have expressed strong appreciation, saying the activities have helped ease their fears and anxiety.

The initiative began on August 6 and is planned to run for at least a month. Activities take place six hours a day—three in the morning and three in the afternoon—at both locations.

Due to the high cost of running the camps, including supplies and the distribution of essentials, Phare is appealing for public donations. Local residents can contribute via ABA Bank account 000784673, marked “Phare Camp,” while international donors can give through an online link with the same reference.

Founded in Battambang in 1994, Phare Ponleu Selpak—meaning “Brightness of the Arts”—supports young people and communities through arts, education, and social outreach programs.

As of August 4, the Ministry of National Defense reported that 124,940 people, or 36,239 families, have been displaced to temporary shelters in Oddar Meanchey, Preah Vihear, Banteay Meanchey, Pursat, and Siem Reap provinces. Most are women, children, the elderly, and people with disabilities.

https://cambodianess.com/article/using-art-to-heal-children-and-families-displaced-by-border-clashes

SOURCE: Cambodianess, Cambodia, Tuesday, August 12, 2025

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