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Enfants de Klang Leu (EKL) is a Franco-Cambodian charity launched in 2006 by Anne and Jacques Collineau. The aim of the organisation is to facilitate access to education for underprivileged children in the province of Sihanoukville, while providing food, medical and social assistance to vulnerable children and their families. The organisation has had the status of a non-profit association under the law of 1901 since 2011 and has been registered with the Ministry of the Interior of the Kingdom of Cambodia since 2016.

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EKL's mission is to ensure the healthy physical and psychological development of children so that they can achieve a better future. EKL invests fully to ensure unfailing access to :

- QUALITY EDUCATION,

- ESSENTIAL HEALTH CARE AND A BALANCED DIET,

- SPORTING, CREATIVE AND RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES,

- SUPPORT FOR FAMILIES AND HELP WITH PARENTING.

The activities are structured in and around the Day Care Centre based at Klang Leu, which aims to be a place of safety and fulfilment.

In 2024, the EKL Centre in Klang Leu welcome 60 children aged between 18 months and 18 years every day and support 100 families.

History

During a trip to Cambodia in 2005, Anne and Jacques Collineau were shocked by the extreme poverty in which the children of the village of Klang Leu were living. From 2006 onwards, the founders got involved locally to help this disadvantaged community gain access to school and be equipped with clothes, uniforms and school materials; they collected material donations and developed partnerships.

The first Centre was opened in 2008, in a crèche-style format for young children, enabling the elders to go to school and the parents to work instead of looking after the children. The intention is to make local families self-sufficient by enabling them to build up a more stable situation. This approach is emblematic of the 2000s and 2010s, which saw charities move away from so-called 'welfare' actions towards an approach aimed at enabling disadvantaged communities to become wealthier in the long term.

In 2011, having tripled the number of children it cares for, EKL is expanding and becoming more institutionalised. The association rented a house with more space, increased the number of full-time employees and registered with the French authorities, obtaining the status of an association under the French law of 1901.

In 2016, EKL was officially recognised by the Kingdom of Cambodia and obtained non-governmental organisation status.

In 2018, an influx of Chinese investment into Sihanoukville province led to a rapid rise in prices and rents, forcing the association to move to a smaller facility with higher rents and a growing number of children to support.

In 2019, a law passed by the Cambodian government makes most online gambling illegal, as a result of which many Chinese investors are abandoning their projects in the region, leading to thousands of Cambodian workers being laid off. As a direct result, more people are turning to NGOs like EKL2 for help. In 2019, the founders are stepping down from the Board of Directors to make way for a brand new team to continue actions in the field and develop the EKL structure in Cambodia.

In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic forces the Kingdom of Cambodia to enter a period of containment. As in many countries, containment in Cambodia is having a major impact on the most disadvantaged communities, on top of the redundancies and price rises of previous years. In addition, the climate of economic uncertainty caused by the pandemic has led to an international drop in charitable donations, which has not spared EKL.

At the end of 2023, the EKL Centre was relocated to a larger, greener area that was conducive to the children's well-being, thanks to the support of the Icare Group. Still in the Klang Leu district of Sihanoukville, just a few minutes' walk from the school, the children will have a better environment in which to flourish and build a bright future.

Fundings

On average over the last three years, EKL has raised around USD 33,000 per year, not including donations in kind such as clothing, food and services. All of EKL's funding comes from private donations and sponsors. As of March 2020, its list of sponsors includes: Challenge Cambodia, Presol, PureVitality, Jaya, Icare Group, Artitude, EDR and A.S.L.

Between 2017 and 2019, the organisation spent more than USD 107,000, mainly on education-related programmes (school equipment, sports and leisure activities, tutoring, etc.).

A large part of EKL's budget comes from a long-standing partnership with the International French School (formerly the Lycée français de Singapour). The school organises a number of charity events during the school year, and donates the funds raised to partner associations such as EKL, Blue Dragon, Krousar Thmey and others. This partnership began in 2011 and has lasted for almost a decade. In 2019, EKL received USD 10,000 thanks to fundraising activities organised with the Lycée. However, a new Singaporean law could force the Lycée to limit or stop its partnerships with non-Singaporean associations.

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