Palelai

The Palelai home is located in the Palelai village of the Poi Pet commune in western Banteay Mean Chey Province.Poi Pet is a casino town on the Thai border. It is the major entry point for goods transported into Cambodia from Thailand. Unfortunately, not only are goods transported through Poi Pet. It has become a child trafficking hub. Desperate people bring children to this town to beg or to be sold in Thailand. Kidnapping is common. Cambodian children that were once sold to Thailand are often dumped back into Cambodia in Poi Pet.

It is also a town where Cambodian refugees that escaped to Thailand during communist control were brought back to Cambodia. There is a mixture of people in Poi Pet. There are refugees, people with import or export businesses, laborers for Thai companies, Casino workers, and people who came to Poi Pet to escape from something, and a lot of begging children. HIV is spreading rapidly there, leaving many children orphaned by AIDS. Many children are abandoned in Poi Pet. Every day, children are seen looking through piles of garbage for food to eat.

Every morning, the children at the Palelai Home begin their day with a morning devotional. After the time of Bible study, worship, and prayer, they eat breakfast. Some go to school in the morning, and others attend school after lunch. When the children are not in school, they might help with house chores, take a nap, or play. The children enjoy playing soccer, Cambodian games, and learning traditional dances.