We are very excited to keep all of our supporters, followers, and donors updated on the progress that we are making and the projects that we are working on. However, I would like to take a moment to talk to you about a topic that is extremely important to us: privacy. 

The main focus group of our NGO’s work is young adults whom I met in early 2014 when they were living in an orphanage that I volunteered for. We have built very deep bonds throughout these years and consider each other family. With relationships like these comes a lot of unconditional love, blind trust, and most importantly: responsibility. I, as their “older brother“ but also as the executive director of this organization, feel responsible for these individuals’ protection including their emotional and physical well-being, and their privacy. 

 

There is a very fine line between sharing insightful and interesting content versus exploiting people from developing countries. We at CYS are committed to protecting the privacy of our enrollees.

However, I also recognize that it can be very educational and interesting for our supporters to see updates on the projects that they donate to and to learn about the stories from my wonderful friends and “family“ in Cambodia. This is why we tried our best in finding a solution for the content, that we will be sharing on our platforms, and most importantly how we go about doing so.

 

The majority of people that CYS supports are adults who have given their consent to be shown online. We will not publish anything on our website or social media accounts before receiving their full consent.

Furthermore, we believe it is extremely important to let their voices be heard. This is why we are offering our enrollees a chance to write letters, that we will include in our reports. By publishing their self-written stories about their experiences, we can be sure that they are in full control of their narrative, and they can choose to share as much or as little as they feel comfortable with.

Last but not least, although it is one of our main initiatives to help young Cambodians and their relatives with medical bills, this is something that we will not show on our platforms. Medical issues, as well as personal tragedies or losses, are simply too private to be shared on the internet. 

I hope you understand our reasoning behind this. We are doing our best to be transparent and informative while still being thoughtful and respectful to each and every person involved. 

If you have any further questions or wish to learn about our work in Cambodia, please feel free to contact us at contact@cambodianyouthsupport.com  

Thank you so much for your understanding, 

Julian