Dao is 14 years old and is a student at our La Salle Pouthum primary school in Cambodia, on the border with Vietnam. He lives with his mom and three younger siblings in a small floating village. Yes, on the water: the only “no man’s land” where families without documents, without rights, and citizens of no state seek refuge.

Like his family, more than 50,000 people of Vietnamese origin are not recognized by either Vietnam, from which their ancestors fled during the 1970s conflict, or Cambodia, where they have lived for generations. They live on stilts over the water, discriminated against and forced into precarious work. Dao, to integrate, uses a Cambodian name, Son.

Without birth certificates, children like him cannot go to school. But at La Salle Pouthum, we are working to change that. This year, Dao will finish 5th grade despite the challenges. After school, he must work as a fisherman and scrap collector to help his family. Yet, he never stops dreaming: he wants to become a police officer, ensure the safety of his village, and help those in need.
To continue studying, Dao needs books, notebooks, and safe transportation to school. That’s what we want to guarantee for him and another 60 children, also offering them a meal a day, sometimes the only one they’ll get.
To go to school, they need your support. This Christmas, you can give them a gift they will cherish forever: take them to school. Give them the chance to keep dreaming and build a better future.

MAKE A DIFFERENCE: SUPPORT DAO AND THE CHILDREN OF LA SALLE POUTHUM TODAY.