Savoeurn* is a 11-year-old girl from Prey Veng province who suffers cerebral palsy – a condition that has left her with severe spasms and affected her movement and posture. In the past, Savoeurn faced significant challenges in mobility and social engagement due to her family’s financial constraints and lack of access to essential medical and rehabilitation care. Savoeurn’s father used to be a garbage collector, and her mother worked as a tailor. Besides Savoeurn, the couple has two more children.
Savoeurn with her mom
In December 2022, Savoeurn was referred by Samatapheap Khnom Organisation (SKO) to Damnok Toek’s disability programme in Neak Loeung, and she was welcomed at the Transitional Small Group Homes. Here she began receiving care and development support. At the Damnok Toek’s Day Care Center, Savoeurn benefited from rehabilitation services, including physiotherapy and sensory stimulation, which helped improve her mobility and overall well-being.
After a month, Damnok Toek arranged for Savoeurn to visit the Centre for Child and Adolescent Mental Health for a comprehensive check-up and specific treatment for her severe spasms. She continues to receive monthly treatment, which has led to a noticeable reduction in the frequency of her spasms.
The Centre for Child and Adolescent Metal Health is a project focused on addressing mental health issues among young people, providing essential services such as psychological assessments, therapy, and family counselling. This centre aims to create a supportive environment that enhances the mental well-being of children and adolescents in Cambodia.
Due to the professional and regular treatment and care, Savoeurn continued to make progress, both physically and emotionally. She gained weight and improved her ability to express herself, often through smiling. With Damnok Toek’s support, she became more active and made improvement in eating and communicating through signs and body language.
Savoeurn received a treatment in the Damnok Toek’s Day Care Center .
A significant milestone was when Savoeurn was reintegrated into her family in Phnom Penh on December 31st last year. The family’s social and economic situation had improved; her father had found a better job, her older brother began working, and her youngest sibling enrolled in school. Thus, her mother now has more time and ability taking care of Savoeurn. For the reintegration process, Damnok Toek provided counselling, home assessments, and transportation support for family visits to ensure a smooth and stable reintegration.
The case of Savoeurn was a successful reintegration from Damnok Toek’s Transitional Small Group Homes into her biological family. Damnok Toek continues to advocate for reintegration to be the primary option when seeking sustainable family-based solutions. For the other residents at Damnok Toek’s Transitional Small Group Homes it is viewed as a temporary solution; providing safe and nurturing care while working towards reuniting the children with their families.
Damnok Toek’s Transitional Small Group Homes
Inside Transitional Small Group Homes
When family reintegration, kinship or foster care are feasible solutions, Damnok Toek strives to embrace these options; all the while recognising the complexity of the process and the required preparation, support and follow-up measures.
The reintegration of Savoeurn marks a big step toward her continued development within her family and community. Damnok Toek, in coordination with Commune Committee for Women and Children, is now working on securing Savoeurn the ID disability status, which will allow her to gain various public services.
The Commune Committee for Women and Children in Cambodia is a local governance body that focuses on promoting the rights and welfare of women and children within communities. Their work is to address issues such as gender-based violence, child protection, and access to education and healthcare.
Moving forward, Savoeurn’s family remains committed to her well-being, and Damnok Toek will continue to provide necessary support to ensure that she can live a more independent and fulfilling life within her family and community.
Damnok Toek continues to empower and support families having children with disabilities from the community in Prey Veng province and those whose children have been reintegrated from the Transitional Small Group Homes. This includes to enhance their self-advocacy, particularly via the peer support groups and support services at Damnok Toek’s Day Care Center.
*The child’s name has been changed to protect their identity.
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