Family Package gives every child a chance
Essential social assistance for Cambodia’s most vulnerable communities helps families put food on the table and keeps children in school, giving them a fair chance at a brighter future
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19 July 2024, Phnom Penh – “I see my mum smile when I go to school,” says nine-year-old Phearom, a Grade 3 student who lives on the outskirts of Phnom Penh with his mother, sister, and great-grandmother. “I see her struggling every day, so I want to study hard and earn money to take care of her.”
Twenty-four-year-old stay-at-home mother Cheth Souphorn has always wanted the best for her young son and six-year-old daughter Srey Phoung, but circumstances at home haven’t always made it easy for her. Struggling to feed her family on two small incomes from her own mother and father, Souphorn isn’t able to find part-time work because she needs to provide round-the-clock care for her elderly grandmother. During especially tough times, generous neighbours gave them rice to make sure they had food on the table. Sometimes, when she couldn’t give Phearom pocket money to buy something to eat at school, his classmates would give him a few hundred riels (around 10 US cents).
“I was really worried about my children’s futures because I didn't have a job that could afford to send them to school to receive a good education,” she says. While public school tuition is free, additional costs for essential materials like uniforms, rucksacks, and textbooks as well as food during school hours can prevent students from attending class and increase their chances of dropping out, especially in higher grades when informal costs increase.
“Sometimes, I didn’t even allow him to go to school because I didn’t want him to look at other children eating while he has nothing,” she says. “Sometimes, I feel so bad for my children that I cry. Both of them are very unlucky.”
Souphorn and her family were eventually registered as IDPoor and became eligible for benefits through the Family Package, an integrated social assistance cash transfer programme that provides support for poor and vulnerable families nationwide. In Cambodia, about 18 per cent of the population live below the poverty line, and a quarter of children face multidimensional poverty, meaning they are more likely to struggle with their education, health, and more.
With the monthly cash transfer received from the Family Package, which includes elderly benefits because of her grandmother, Souphorn was able to buy new textbooks and a new school uniform for her son, the rest going towards food, including Phearom’s daily pocket money.
Rolled out in April 2024 by the Royal Government of Cambodia with support from UNICEF, the package integrates all existing and planned social assistance benefits in the country – the Cash Transfer for Pregnant Women and Children under Two, Cash Transfer for Children from Poor Households in Primary and Secondary Schools, Cash Transfer for Persons with Disabilities and the planned Cash Transfer for Elderly People – and introduces a Cash Transfer for Persons Living with HIV/AIDS. The programme also replaces the COVID-19 Cash Transfer Programme, which is being wound down.
With funding from the European Union (EU), UNICEF supported the development of the digital delivery system and capacity development of operators from both national and subnational levels, including programme officials in communes, health centres, and schools.
With the monthly cash transfer received from the Family Package, which includes elderly benefits because of her grandmother, Souphorn was able to buy new textbooks and a new school uniform for her son, the rest going towards food, including Phearom’s daily pocket money.
“I'm very happy to receive the Family Package,” says Souphorn. “Now, my son can go to school without worrying about money. He can buy snacks without having to watch other kids eat. Without the Family Package, my kids might have to drop out."
By integrating benefits into one package, the programme aims to provide comprehensive support to poor and vulnerable families and children at every stage of life. This approach helps protect families from poverty, accelerate human resource development, and promote inclusive growth, leaving no one behind. Since launching in April 2024, about 750,000 children from Cambodia’s most vulnerable families have been reached with vital assistance through the Family Package.
“In my community, the Family Package has significantly helped vulnerable families, including children, senior citizens, and people with disabilities,” says Dy Rithy, focal point at the Commune Council in Phleung Chheh Roteh commune, where Souphorn and her family live. “The Family Package acts as a catalyst, motivating children to attend school by providing essential study materials and uniforms. It encourages them to pursue their education, leading to a brighter future.”
Souphorn wants to give her children more opportunities in life than she had growing up. She dreams her children can earn a place at university and put the tough times behind them.
Her most important lesson for them: “Education will be your greatest asset.”
“I keep reminding my children to study hard because I don’t have anything to pass on to them,” she says. “All I can do is send them to school. I want both of them to receive a higher education and have a good future.”
She plans to enroll her daughter in primary school next year. For Phearom, these days he’s spending his time both in the classroom and on the playground, doing what he loves best.
“I’m happy I get to go to school,” says Phearom. “I learn a lot when I’m there, and I like to play football with my friends.”
