Friends-International is a groundbreaking social enterprise working to ensure that urban children, youth and their families are able to become functional, productive citizens. Addressing the various challenges of multi-dimensional and inter-generational poverty—including trafficking, exploitation, substance abuse, and lack of opportunity—Friends runs holistic social services programs supported by best practice social business models and wide-reaching multi-stakeholder partnerships with government civil society and the private sectors. Each year, through activities across Southeast Asia and global collaboration, Friends-International builds the futures of 150,000 young people and generates $2.6 million in social revenue.
Keeping children safe from exploitation and life on the streets requires concerted efforts of prevention, rehabilitation, and reintegration.
Friends-International involves local entrepreneurs in keeping children safe, and offers rehabilitation and reintegration programs.
Sebastien Marot seeks to move away from charity and toward real development.
Friends-International serves 50,000 children each year.
To create a world where marginalized urban young people and their families are able to overcome their challenges and become functional, productive citizens.
Partnerships, Social Business Franchise, Policy Advocacy. Friends replicates its impact through an innovative social business franchising model and meaningful partnerships with likeminded organizations in government, civil society, and the private sector.
Executive Director, Friends-International
Sébastien Marot served in Asia with the French diplomatic corps. Returning as a traveler to Cambodia, he encountered a wrecked society where children slept in the streets. He gave them meals but soon realized that giving to child beggars merely kept them living on the streets. He started Mith Samianh (“Friends” in Khmer) to offer shelter, medical care and education, reintegrating children with family, school and work. As the organization’s success attracted attention, Sébastien was attacked and targeted for assassination by gangs and pedophiles. Yet requests for help and training continued to pour in, and Sébastien transferred leadership of Friends Cambodia to an able Cambodian colleague. He now devotes his energy to Friends-International through two key programs: ChildSafe, which involves local leaders and tourists in prevention, and The Street Children Network, which makes effective services available -- vocational training, protection, and social services, as well as job placement in the Friends Social Businesses network. Services are delivered through Friends programs, an alliance of partners, and the ChildSafe global community protection network.
