Why read about family-based care when there is an opportunity to see and hear about it firsthand? Children in Families, a local Cambodian NGO, has created a program they call Rok Kern. Rok Kern is a Khmer phrase meaning “to come and see,” and that is exactly what they invite participants to do. Aligning with many of the principles discussed in Faith to Action’s Short Term Missions: Guidance to Support Orphans and Vulnerable Children, Rok Kern trips inspire participants to become family-based care advocates.
Children in Families spent much of 2017 piloting their Rok Kern program to Australian secondary school students. In Australia, many schools promote overseas trips as a way of exposing students to different cultures and regions of the world. These trips often involve volunteering at orphanages. In light of the increasing awareness of the risks associated with volunteers interacting with children at orphanages, the staff at Children in Families wanted to provide an alternative.
Read the rest of the story at the Faith to Action website.