COMMUNIQUE
From AFESIP Cambodia’s Staff for Abrupt Fund Termination
by Somaly Mam Foundation
Following the information offered by AFESIP Cambodia’s management that Somaly Mam Foundation, whose GINA REISS is presently the Executive Director of SMF, abruptly terminated the entire funding for AFESIP Cambodia, AFESIP Cambodia’s staff have felt so doubtful and deeply shocked with this decision for this triggers the following negative impacts on:
- AFESIP Cambodia’s overall operation activities granted mostly by SMF
- Living condition of the in-centered residents who have been totally rehabilitated, some of whom are taking the vocational skill training, some are ready for their reintegration into their home communities with the in-kind support of materials/equipment to create a small scale business for their new lives as they have already finished their studies.
- 170 in-centered residents under the 3 rehabilitation centers, thus resulting in their frustration and possibly leading them to their re-victimization.
- Possible negative actions likely to be caused by the residents and their families and this cannot be managed by AFESIP Cambodia.
- Staff’s livelihood and their families mostly depend on their salaries. More importantly, those staff cannot secure their job immediately after this staff cut-off.
Based on the above mentioned, staff of AFESIP Cambodia would like to condemn for their irresponsible and inhuman decision to cut down fund managed by SMF management and Board of Directors in the United States and would like Ms. Gina Reiss to reconsider over the mistaken decision and request her to provide various reasons against the cutting of fund and also reconsider the bad consequences over all victims and AFESIP operations as a whole.
Also we would like to take this opportunity to appeal to national and international public to consider and find justice for AFESIP Cambodia, victims and AFESIP’s staff.
In the end, we would like to suggest all donors who used to donate directly to SMF to reconsider funding and request their emergency aid to AFESIP Cambodia.
27 June 2014
On behalf of AFESIP Cambodia staff
Uong Chheng
012 635 600
