Kunthea’s story of finding safety, family and a future.
When Kunthea speaks, she giggles.
At eleven, she talks about school friends, caring for animals, reading and drawing. She hopes to become a science teacher one day.
There was a time when Kunthea could not have said those words.
When her father could not care for her and her mother left Cambodia to work in Thailand, Kunthea was placed in an orphanage.
At seven, she experienced sexual abuse there. After temporary care, she was referred to Hagar and joined a foster family.
It was a new beginning, but the fear stayed with her.
“I lived in fear. I was scared.”
Kunthea struggled with anger and feelings she did not yet know how to manage. Sometimes, she hid beneath her bed when upset.
Her foster parents learned how to support her. They gave her time. They listened.
Slowly, she began to feel part of a family.
At her new home outside Phnom Penh, Kunthea became good at caring for chickens and cows.
Her foster mother taught her to plant vegetables and cook. Her favourite meal to make was rice and fried pork.
Kunthea walked to school with friends. At lunchtime, they jumped rope and talked about their lives.
Relationships could be safe. They could be joyful.
She loved Khmer books, drawing and painting. Her foster parents were proud of her school results, and she had become a role model in class.
Kunthea wanted to become a science teacher.
Safety had given her room to learn, grow and imagine a life of her own.
At the time this story was recorded, her foster parents had welcomed 21 children over eleven years. They wanted each child to have an education, independence and hope.
Their home became part of Kunthea’s recovery, alongside the counselling and support she received through Hagar.
Together, that care helped her rebuild trust and discover that the future could feel possible again.
She is more than what happened to her.
She is a daughter, a friend and a student with dreams of her own. Her past is part of her story, but it does not have to decide her future.
Help Hagar provide the care and long-term support that make new beginnings possible.
