The Indochina Starfish Foundation (ISF) is an International Charity that was founded in 2006. Its key aim is to provide a lifeline for some of the poorest, most disadvantaged children in Cambodia by providing them with the opportunity to complete a full education programme, the opportunity to participate in a weekly youth football coaching programme or, in some cases, both.
The ISF’s educational programme is focussed on children from communities that live in the Stung Meanchay and Boeng Salang districts within Phnom Penh. Approximately 160 children are currently supported by this programme but the ISF has aspirations to provide a full education to many hundreds more children in the future.
The ISF has very strong partnerships with both the Sports And Leadership Training organisation (SALT) and the Football Federation of Cambodia (FFC) to deliver its football coaching programme to over 2,500 disadvantaged children, including many street children and orphans across Phnom Penh, Kandal and Battambang. Our aspiration is to provide this programme to tens of thousands of children across the whole of Cambodia in the longer term.
Our Mission
Our mission is to make a real, tangible, sustainable and meaningful difference to the lives of as many underprivileged children in Cambodia as possible giving them not only the hope of, but also the real opportunity to create a brighter future.
We believe that:
- Each child is an individual.
- Every child has the right to a decent, basic education.
- Every child deserves the opportunity to enjoy their childhood in a safe and caring environment.
- The future of a nation is dependent on a well educated population to reach its potential.
- ISF can make a difference through the provision of its effective, focused core education programme and through the delivery of a nationwide football coaching programme for boys AND girls.
Every Child Deserves a Chance
The Starfish Story, that inspired the founding Trustees to create and grow the ISF, encapsulates their belief that each and every one of us can make a difference, one child at a time.
The Starfish Story
“The tide has gone out and has left a million starfish stranded on the beach. They are slowly dying under the heat of the sun. A little girl is walking along this beautiful sandy beach. As she walks along, she picks up a starfish and throws it back into the sea. She then picks another one and another, throwing each into the sea. An old man watches her for a while then walks up to her and says “What are you doing little girl? There are millions of starfish out there dying. You cannot believe that you can make a difference”. The girl kneels down, picks up a starfish, throws it into the sea and says “I made a difference to that one”.
As individuals we cannot necessarily change the world , BUT we can make a difference , one child at a time.