Serei Saophoan

Serei Saophoan is a district located in the city of Banteay Mean Chey.

The town was formerly known as Sisophaon. It is the provincial capital and in the heart of the major rice producing area of the country. Historically, the town was one of the most prosperous in Cambodia but recent events have turned it into a rather desolate place. Banteay Mean Chey was the scene of the last serious fighting between the Khmer Rouge and various Cambodian political parties in 1997.

The topography of the area is that of a flat flood plain but the setting of the home is in a residential area backdropped by one of the few mountains in Cambodia. The home fronts on a city street on the northern edge of town. The church home facility was one of the first constructed in Cambodia and has undergone extensive renovation in the last year.

Land mines, war and disease are three of the major factors that contribute to children being orphaned here. Banteay Mean Chey, a major crossroad between Battambang, Siem Reap and the route to Thailand was at the heart of the Khmer Rouge fighting before peace came in 1998. Due to the strategic importance of the city as a route to Thailand the area was heavily mined by both Khmer Rouge and Cambodian forces during the past 27 years. Malaria, Dengue Fever, and other tropical diseases are common in the area with mosquito borne diseases the most prevalent.