Proverbs 31 prophetically speaks of the Church – the Bride of Christ – and what ‘She’ will accomplish in her season on the earth:

This is Strong Nation Church!  She has indeed set her heart upon a nation – the nation of Cambodia – and we’ve taken her as our own, sending the Prevost family to support and strengthen the church planting efforts with Outdom Heang and Longpich Leakhena, and sending Deborah Kneale to work in the only pregnancy crisis centre in Cambodia – Mother’s Heart. Now we seek to ‘labour there to plant the living vines.’

Last year, we officially launched Strong Village Cambodia and the “Adopt a Village” sponsorship program with great success!

Human trafficking and exploitation are significant issues in Cambodia, with impoverished and vulnerable village children often falling victim to these crimes.  Young village girls with very limited opportunities often become ensnared in employment at Karaoke bars, a path that frequently leads to a life of sexual exploitation.

But our vision is to Prevent Trafficking and Strengthen Villages.

We wholeheartedly believe in the potential to eradicate trafficking and exploitation in Cambodian villages through active community engagement and transformation efforts.

Since the start of our ‘Adopt a Village’ initiative one year ago, we have built meaningful relationships with local residents and leaders in six villages. Thanks to the generous support of our sponsors, our dedicated case worker, Sokunthy, has played a significant role in our efforts to prevent trafficking and strengthen these communities.

Sokunthy has been able to assist seven clients from these six villages who were at risk of falling prey to trafficking and exploitation. She has provided them with life skills training, financial aid to support their education and basic counselling for each of them and their families.

One of our clients had been working tirelessly for eighteen hours a day on a farm to support her family. However, since becoming a client of Strong Village, she has had the opportunity to return to school and continue her education. She is a passionate follower of Jesus, a loved member of Strong Nation Church Cambodia and a disciple maker among her peers.

Additionally, our caseworker has been connecting with the leaders of the villages where our clients’ families reside, with the goal of working together on community-led projects that enhance the strength and well-being of these villages.  Three of these village leaders have expressed concerns about sanitation issues in their respective communities, prompting us to initiate a fundraising campaign through ACCI – Projects 23.

We are delighted to announce that we have raised enough money to begin constructing our first toilet and outhouse for a family with four children in the upcoming week. Members of SNC Cambodia have already joined us in building relationship and connection with this precious family.  Strong Nation Church Cambodia and Australia, along with Australian Christian Churches International are key partners in this mission.

In 2024, our mission continues: Prevent Trafficking and Strengthen Villages.

To work towards the prevention of human trafficking in these villages, we will:

• • Employ an additional case worker to support Sokunthy with clients and community projects.
  • Sustain our financial support for clients’ education.
  • Continue offering essential life skills training to empower and protect them from trafficking.

To work towards strengthening villages, we will:

• • Renovate our Strong Village office to enhance support for clients and families.
  • Construct additional toilets/outhouses in villages to address basic needs.
  • Assist one family in launching a chicken-raising business.
  • Develop training materials for a village in need of support, especially for new mothers.

You can also play a vital role in our mission to combat trafficking and strengthen villages by:

1. 1. Adopting a Village
   2. Building a toilet for a family in need by donating to our ACCI project 23
   3. Joining our upcoming fundraising event to raise funds to employ another Case Worker.

Finally we would like to say a huge thank you to our 2023 sponsors for partnering in our vision to prevent trafficking and strengthen villages.