Story 1: Pen Kanha (Emmy)
Children in the center call her Emmy. On 29th September 2011 at 10:20 am, a phone call rang at SFODA orphanage. Ms. Moninarom picked up the phone. It was from Dr. Srey Vanna, who was on duty at Daun Penh Health Center. The doctor informed her that there was a baby-girl was born last night. Her mother left the baby early morning that day and never came back. The baby cried out loud for milk. There was no baby-care service at the health center, so the staff on duty decided to call SFODA for emergency help. Ms. Moninarom took the baby to SFODA and provided the best care possible in the hope that one day her mother would come for her daughter. Ms. Moninarom submitted all necessary legal papers for the baby to local authorities and Phnom Penh Department of Social Affairs so that the mother would be able to get the baby back one day. Time passed by…3 months, 6 months, 1 year…the mother totally disappeared with no any news. Local authorities, then, made the conclusion that the baby was abandoned. The baby was then named Pen Kannha (Pen is the family name of the Executive Director of SFODA, Kannha means September), and the date of birth is 28th September 2011, the real date when she was born. 

Story 2: Roat Chetra
Early morning, 23rd September 2009, at about 5:30, at SFODA Safe Shelter, when all the children got up for their morning exercise, there was a baby cry…soft and weak cry. The center guard went quickly to find what exactly was the cry. He found a little newborn wrapped in a black towel with some blood stains on it. It was a baby-boy, the guard cried out loud and called a caretaker who rushed out from the Safe Shelter toward the wrapped baby. Another baby was found very near the center (most probably abandoned)! The Director of SFODA accepted the case. The caregiver quickly cleaned the newborn with warm water and baby shampoo. The baby stopped crying, slowly moved his weak body, and opened his little mouth. We understood at once: Food! and of course, warm shelter. SFODA reported to the local authority, released a public announcement about the newborn, and looked for his parents and/or relatives. Time went by, 3months, 6 months, 1 year…SFODA received no news. The local authorities made the final conclusion that the baby was abandoned. He was named Roat Chetra, which means State Heart. 
Note: We found the newborn on 23rd September 2009, but the registration of his date of birth is 20th September 2009 (3 days earlier). The date of birth was roughly proved by a medical specialist who judged the case by examining the umbilical cord tied up belly button of the newborn which had some dried blood stains on it.

Story 3: Sophanit
Sophanit is from a poor and dysfunctional family. There are two children in the family: Sophanith and his younger sister. The family is very poor and sometimes he and his sister don't have enough food to eat. His father and mother often quarreled with each other. The father and mother always accused again each other for not being able to feed the family. Finally, they got divorced. The father took Sophanit to stay with him, and the mother took his younger sister. He was then 4 years old. He has never been seeing his little sister since then. After the divorce, his father started working as a construction worker. He usually leaves Sophanit alone at the staying place and goes to work at the construction site. Learning that this routine is risky, the father moved Sophanit to stay with his old mother who was 87 years old. Life was so terrible and under tension…The poor grandma was not able to take care of Sophanit not even take care of herself. The poor man cried for help to save his son. He met with SFODA staff and learned about this child-centered organization. After deliberation over the case, SFODA accepted Sophanit to stay in SFODA Safe Shelter. Sophanit came to stay with SFODA on 18th February 2021. He goes to public school with other children with hope that his life will be better in the future.