Our Programs
Our programs are designed and developed to meet the needs of our clients, their families, students and individuals in the community.
"Diving Deep, Going Far", Book Study
This six-week book study is designed to help girls realize that they can dream BIG and in fact accomplish their dreams.
"Diving Deep, Going Far" is based on Cambodian women who had BIG dreams, beat all odds, overcame huge obstacles and are in fact living their dream. This a book of inspiration and encouragement.
SHINE
Our SHINE program is a program that focuses on highlighting the participants individual value and worth. During this program, the participants explore why they are here on earth, the many values they bring to our world, and who they are meant to be. By the end of the program, each participant is should know just how much they are a valuable part of this world, just how much they are loved and most importantly have a deep love and respect for themselves. Everyone is made to SHINE.
Healthy Glow
Take yourself back to the fifth or sixth grade. Remember that embarrassing day when the school taught you about the changes your body was going to be making when you entered into puberty and then into adulthood?
Well, here in Cambodia, there is no such teaching in schools, and it’s taboo to talk about at home. So many young women have no idea what to expect when they enter into puberty and beyond.
The Healthy GLOW program that we offer was developed by the Global GLOW Initiative. This program focuses on sexual, reproductive, and emotional health with a strong emphasis on healthy relationships.
Health issues can be enormous—and sometimes overwhelming—barriers for girls all over Cambodia. Lack of access to sexual and reproductive health information and care can prevent girls from attending school regularly—impacting not just their ability to be at their best physically, but also their ability to learn, grow, and receive necessary educational and social support, something Women Are Gold is passionate about, at a crucial time in their lives.
The statistics are staggering, but did you know that menstrual hygiene issues, and the interruptions to education that they cause, can put girls far behind their male classmates—up to 145 days behind. This is unacceptable.
Women Are Gold, and the Healthy GLOW program teach girls that just because they’re have their period doesn’t mean they can’t be happy, healthy, productive, empowered and in school…PERIOD.
*We have recently started talking the girls who complete this program to one of the best women’s health clinics in Cambodia to get their health checked. Getting their health checked was actually a request of the girls, yet we thought this was a fantastic idea and an opportunity for them to be seen by a highly qualified doctor and to follow up on what they just learned in our program.
Individual Counseling
It’s tough being a teenager! But being a teenage girl, trying to stay in school, growing up in an impoverished family, in Cambodia…is really hard. Sometimes our clients, and young women and girls in the community, just need someone who will listen to them, understand their struggles and help encourage them to stay in school and keep looking forward. Our community center has counseling programs just for this.
Good Touch, Bad Touch
For children to know the difference between “good touch and bad touch” is vital in keeping children safe from sexual abuse and exploitation. Women Are Gold is teaching the “good touch, bad touch” program in the community and has distinguished itself as a place to go, report and seek safety if abuse is taking place.
May and Bay
May and Bay is an interactive online game that teaches young children and youth about the signs, red-flags and dangers of online grooming, sexting and human trafficking. This game is very popular amongst school aged children, and we often receive feedback that by us bringing this game into local schools, this is the first time the majority of children have ever heard about dangers when being online. This fun and interactive game, developed by A21 organization, is a very effective in the prevention of human trafficking.
Financial Management
Our Financial Management and Planning classes are taught to each of our clients, their families and to many people in the community. Financial stability is probably the number one key to preventing human trafficking in Cambodia. For a family to be financially stable and secure, there would be no need to take their daughter out of school to go to work to help financially support the family. We would love to see a financially secure Cambodia.
Safe Migration
The average income in Cambodia is $325 per month, and unfortunately, for many multi-generational families, this is not enough money to survive. Many families choose to seek employment in neighboring countries such as Vietnam and Thailand, while others travel much further into places such as Malaysia, Turkey, Singapore, China and even the United States.
Each of these families who choose to migrate outside of Cambodia, in search of a better income, often only see the money aspect of the opportunity, and don't often look beyond that.
They don't think to look at the working conditions they might be subjected to, or the long hours they will be asked to work, the paperwork process they will need to fill out to obtain these jobs legally, or even the need for a Cambodian passport and international visa.
This program is designed to assist community members in learning the realities of working abroad, and what is needed to work legally.
This program also touches on the various different employment scams to be aware of, and the key signs of human trafficking to look out for when applying for and accepting a job. This program also teaches individuals what they need to do, and who they need to contact, if they find themselves in a dangerous employment situation, or a human trafficking situation, both in Cambodia and abroad.
Creative Arts
During the Angkor Period, prior to the Pol Pot Regime, there was a thriving creative arts culture throughout Cambodia. Unfortunately, since many of those artists did not survive the war, the arts culture has significantly diminished within the country.
The Women Are Gold creative arts program is one that girls can come to to tap into their creative minds, relax and escape the pressures of their culture, hang out with friends, listen to music, laugh with friends and create art.
In our creative arts program, we strive to use as many recycled and upcycled materials as possible in hopes that we can show the girls the magic and beauty recycling can create.
10k Race
Every year on International Women’s Day, Cambodia holds a 10k fun run in the capital of Phnom Penh. With our Co-Founder, Rick being an avid runner, he has encouraged and coached some of our girls to join him on race day..
Training in the tropics can be challenging, but training with friends, who make things fun, who are encouraging and can bring inspiration to the training, can make training days enjoyable. And when race day comes, the joy, excitement and sense of accomplishment that is felt when crossing the finish line is worth every step of the journey.
