Cambodia needs a speech therapy profession. Currently, there are no university-qualified speech therapists in Cambodia. OIC is working with others in Cambodia and beyond to change this.
If there is one word to describe OIC’s work, it is learning. We feel like we are always learning: learning about training, how speech therapy is best applied in Cambodia, how speech therapists fit into government systems, how therapy practice interacts with Cambodian culture, and so much more.
We’re a small team based in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Our vision is to make speech therapy available to all who need it in Cambodia. We are establishing both formal and informal partnerships with various NGOs, networking locally, and are internally involved in supporting children and vulnerable people in Cambodia. We are looking for opportunities for collaborative partners in project implementation, resource development, training and research.
The future Cambodian speech therapy profession will most likely work across three government ministries, the Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sport (MoEYS), the Ministry of Social Affairs, Veterans, and Youth Rehabilitation (MOSVY), and the Ministry of Health (MoH). We are working towards strong partnerships within each of these sectors stakeholders can be aware of the need for a recognised speech therapy Cambodia.
It’s an exciting time for OIC Cambodia. As awareness grows, we are seeing an increase in demand for speech therapy services, as well as interest in the future academic program. For this to happen, we need continued collaboration, support from the Cambodian government and international donors, and the expertise of the international speech therapy community. We look forward to continuing to learn and collaborate with our stakeholders, partners and diverse network toward the success of the development speech therapy services available for Cambodia.
We believe this will allow the people of Cambodia to achieve our overarching goal after OIC dissolves. We continue to aim toward the goal of seeing 100 Cambodian university-qualified speech therapists integrated into the public sector by 2030, which will be OIC Cambodia’s exit point.
Thank you to our employees, our donors, and our supporters in establishing speech therapy to be universally accessible for all who need it in Cambodia.
Best regards,