Friends-International

Friends-International works with marginalized urban children and youth, their families and communities to become productive, independent citizens of their country. They do this by listening to and being guided by those who matter the most to them - the children and youth they work with everyday.

Friends-International fulfills its mission by:

• protecting urban children and youth from all forms of abuse within the scope of the International Convention of the Rights of the Child;
• reintegrating marginalized urban children and youth so they become actively involved in the development of their society;
• preventing marginalized urban children and youth from engaging in risky behavior and/or dangerous situations that compromise their futures;
• improving the way organizations work by promoting innovative and effective approaches with the active participation of the children and youth;
• influencing all tiers of society to provide supportive environments and adopt positive behavior changes.

Friends-International has been assisting marginalized urban children and youth across the world since 1994. They now run and support projects for these children and their families in Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Indonesia, Honduras, Mexico, Egypt and Myanmar.

Friends-International and its partners reach out to over 50,000 marginalized young people - particularly street children and youth – each year. They offer a range of comprehensive services as part of their holistic approach to assisting children and their families to improve their lives.

In recognition of its work, Friends-International has been awarded:

• Order of Australia for Service to Humanity
• Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship
• Gold Medal of the Cambodian Government
• Silver Medal, "Société d’Encouragement au Progrès"
• 2008 Espiritu Award from the Isabelle Allende Foundation
• The Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship, Social Entrepreneur of the Year, East Asia, 2009