In this blog post from the Georgetown University Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs, Stacie Ellinger of Children in Families (a Cambodian NGO) writes about a new program that CIF has launched called Rok Kern, which "offers an alternative program to community groups that would ordinarily visit orphanages in Cambodia." Rok Kern invites students and volunteers visiting Cambodia from overseas to participate in a 12-day study tour of Cambodia, including workshops with local NGOs, where they learn about the long-term effects of institutionalization on children and "how issues surrounding institutionalization of Cambodian children fit within Cambodia’s development context." The program "gives them the tools they need to advocate for better care for children around the globe."
"By bringing together development theory, relevant local and international case examples, and experiential visit opportunities, Rok Kern offers a program that does not inadvertently harm children (in the way orphanage voluntourism does), while allowing participants to engage with issues in their own lives on returning home. This in turn supports CIF’s broader work of seeing children grow up in healthy families."