At Pu Trou Ler Primary School in Mondulkiri Province, Cambodia, one student’s story illustrates how powerful child protection education can be in transforming lives.

An 11-year-old girl, whom we’ll call Sokha* to protect her privacy, is in Grade 6 and the second child in her family. Like many children in her rural community, Sokha grew up without any formal knowledge of her rights or how to protect herself from harm.

“I used to experience violence from my parents,” she shared. “But I thought it was okay because I only felt a bit upset or angry. Sometimes, I would just run to my grandmother’s house.”

This all changed when Sokha joined World Hope International’s (WHI) child protection and awareness sessions at school. Over the past two years, WHI has been delivering these programs through the Keeping Safe training, along with after-school activities like environmental awareness, WASH, creative arts, and sports.

The impact has been profound. Through the training, Sokha gained the tools to understand abuse—including online abuse—and the confidence to protect herself and others.

“Now, I know my rights and how to seek help when violence happens,” she explained. “The training helped me improve my self-awareness and understand how to protect myself.” 

More importantly, Sokha is putting this knowledge into action. She has started talking with her parents about her rights and educating her peers about speaking up. She now knows where to go for help—whether that’s a teacher, the police, or a trusted adult.

“If I see abuse happening in my village or at home, I will report it to the police or tell a neighbor so they can help,” she said with quiet confidence.

WHI’s Keeping Safe program is helping students like Sokha not only recognize when something is wrong—but also take steps to change it.

Her message is one of courage and advocacy:

“If you experience any form of violence or abuse, don’t be scared or stay silent. Please speak up and call the Child Helpline Cambodia at 1280.”

This is what hope looks like. A safer, more aware generation—starting with one brave girl who now knows she has a voice.