Football reaches Cambodia

In November 2012, the Australian College of Physical Education (ACPE) Cultural Experience Program travelled to Cambodia for three weeks, supported by the AFL’s Multicultural Program.

The group consisted of three staff members and 16 students who volunteered at the Cambodian Children’s Fund (CFF) in Phnom Penh, conducting physical education programs.

The Cambodian’s Children’s Fund was found by Australian Scott Neeson and since 2004 has been providing education, nourishment and healing to vulnerable children from some of Cambodia’s most destitute communities.

They were first caring for 45 children, but that number has grown now to more than 1200 children who are in the care of the CCF, most of whom have gone from working on the ‘dump’ to providing for their families.

Their services now extend to providing more opportunities to grow and develop the health and wellbeing for some of Cambodia’s children, their families and the wider community.

This was the second program conducted by ACPE, with a group also travelling to the region in 2011.

The group conducted programs which included structured sporting lessons for children, utilising sporting equipment the children had never had access to before, teaching sporting programs to the teachers for them to incorporate into everyday teaching, first aid courses for senior students and staff and assisting with the meal program.

AFL NSW/ACT donated 30 AFL footballs to the program and students from ACPE taught the Cambodian children AFL skills such as handballing and marking.

Click here to see photos from the amazing trip!