Outback Centre & Street Kids Project
The Outback Centre
The Outback Centre, located behind the CCT shop, is CCT's drop in centre. Here we run educational, training/vocational and mentoring programs for Battambang's street kids. The Outback Centre was developed to assist the disconnected youth of Battambang realise self worth and encourage positive life choices through involvement, education, training and support. The Centre attracts and supports street children and other underprivileged youths from Battambang, many of whom suffer from emotional and physical abuse, are drug users, uneducated and neglected. All come from extremely poor families.
We support the children on a personal level with individually designed programs, We develop these programs based upon the child’s strengths with the intention of building confidence and motivating change.
Our program is non discriminatory, as we believe that with the right emotional and practical tools, children have the ability to gain the confidence to transform their lives and make positive life choices.
The project has been functioning since March. Initially staff from CCT’s Outback Centre worked with local homeless youths already well known to them, yet through word of mouth alone, the number of children coming to the Outback Centre and attending daily classes and training workshops has swelled. CCT is now virtually at maximum capacity in regards to the numbers of children participating in our programs.
At the Outback Centre the programs range from base literacy classes to vocational training. Many of the children who attend the Outback Centre are also now enrolled in and are attending public school despite the fact that they are living on the street. They receive additional classes and tutoring at the Outback Centre which makes it possible for them to further their education or make up for education they have missed. The few children who are not attending public school, are instead taking vocational training.
The Street Kids Project
Street children have unique needs and require a unique approach to help them discover and embrace better choices for their lives. Often what they are looking for is a place to belong, to be needed, to be valued, and most importantly, a place that respects their freedom and individuality. We reach out to these children, seeking to build personal relationships based on guidance and trust. The street children involved in this project will have the full access to and support of the Outback Centre where we will work with them to develop and implement customised plans to help them move toward a brighter future.
Rotar's Story
Rotar is 15 years old and has had no formal schooling. When Rotar first came to the Outback Centre, his situation was one of drug abuse and homelessness; he supported himself by picking up rubbish to sell. Over time he began to express interest in one day having his own coconut selling business.
CCT provided a portable cart with ice chest, coconuts and other related materials and gave him training in the process of cutting coconuts, which he then taught to his family. His family now cut the coconuts for him in the morning and he picks them up to sell in the afternoon. He sells on average 20-25 coconuts per day. He no longer needs to pick up trash to support himself.
An average day for Rotar:
7-9 English, 9-10 Khmer Literacy, 10-11 Khmer Traditional Music, 1-2 Art Class, 2-4 Selling Coconuts
Meet the Kids
