Against a backdrop of persistent tension and armed conflict on the Thai-Cambodian border, thousands of families were forced to flee their homes in the 2nd half of 2025. Hosted in camps and pagodas, they are living in extreme poverty.
A team of volunteers coordinated by Emilie Deschaseaux, and supported by Planète Enfants & Développement, carried out activities at the end of the year to offer displaced children moments of respite, play and comfort.
When I arrived at the pagoda, the children were silent, tired-looking and often sad. They had fled in a hurry, leaving behind their homes, their landmarks, their toys.
With the team of volunteers - Colette, Sophie, Julie, Sophal and Kimo - we offered simple activities: drawing, coloring, games, sports and reading. Little by little, the children came around. They participated, laughed, shared. Seeing their smiles return, even for a moment, was overwhelming. We thought we'd stay 3 days, but we ended up staying 6!
I remember a little girl who fell asleep in my arms. She said nothing. She just needed to feel safe, to take a break. At that moment, I realized that our presence counted as much as the activities.
Children love to be with you, to be listened to, to have their faces and hands cleaned, to be taken care of.
We even showed a grandmother how to draw. No one had ever shown her how... When this grandma hugged us, everything was said.
The language barrier quickly disappeared. I speak a little Khmer, but often a smile, a gesture or a drawing was enough. As the days went by, some of the children waited impatiently for us every morning.
Thanks to a fund-raising campaign run by our volunteer team, we were able to rent a tent and buy materials such as games, books, creative supplies and sports equipment to run the workshops. We also kept the drawings made by the children, with the idea of making a large-format version to showcase their creativity and resilience.
When we began our action in the pagoda, 343 families, i.e. 1,047 people including 431 children, were living there. Today, there are still 60 families, including 54 children, who are forbidden to return home because they live in the red zone. In mid-January, we offered to show them a film on a large inflatable screen.
We're thinking about continuing our volunteer activities for the children trapped in the pagoda and the street children who live there all year round.
> Play workshops for displaced children in Cambodia (02/01/2026)
> A look back at the emergency aid for families forced to flee thanks to your support (29/10/2025)
