Our staff

Mr Vichetr Uon is the founder and Executive Director

He was born in a rural remote area of Takeo province in Cambodia. His father was shot dead anonymously during a humanitarian mission which led his family into a terrible situation. His sister and brother were forced to stop their primary education to keep him in school, while there was no money for the rest of the six siblings to attend. He was granted the opportunity of a lifetime to go to college, through the kindness and financial support of his foster brother. He graduated with a Science Degree from Norton University in Phnom Penh provided by a full-four year sponsorship from his Australian foster brother. Mr. Uon is passionate about putting an end to the human trafficking of the vulnerable in Cambodia, starting from the poorest province, Kampong Speu. His philosophy is that in order to stop trafficking SSF must improve the livelihoods of the poorest in the community, thus removing any potential opportunity for the traffickers. He believes any organization must work with families on a long-term basis and utilize the strengths they have already acquired in their lifetime. This involves nursing existing talents such as baking and turning them into fledgling businesses that will provide income and security form families.

Mariusz Soltanifar, Social Enterprise Advisor

Mariusz Soltanifar, is graduated from the doctorial studies in The Faculty of Entrepreneurship and Industrial Policy, in The Department of Management at the University of Lodz, Poland. He received his masters degree from the same university, majoring in Regional Foresight, with minors in Innovation Business Strategy. Nowadays, he is serving as the visiting lecture at the University Malaysia Perlis. His teaching responsibilities include Engineering Entrepreneurship, Innovation, Corporate Entrepreneurship and Business Planning. He was a guest lecturer at i.e. universities in Roskilde University, Denmark and Afyon Kocatepe University, Turkey within the framework of The Erasmus Teaching Mobility program. Since 2000, Mariusz has participated in the foreign educational and training programs (the studies in i.e. Germany, England, Finland, USA, Australia and Brazil). Mariusz is the coordinator of many projects, co-author of the few scientific publications, written for Polish Academy of Sciences and Polish Economic Society. In 2005 he prepared 3 types of a Guide for Entrepreneurs written for The Polish Agency for Enterprise Development. He currently work on Social Enterprise project which is running by our Foundation.

Miss Sinuon Chea, 24,Child Protection Coordinator

Sinoun began her role as Child Protection Coordinator in mid-2008. She is an indispensable member of the staff of SSF. She lives in the SSF commune overseeing discipline, rule creation and the division of chores. She ensures the seamless running of what is essentially a large household.

Her tasks also included teaching the children basic computer skills and assisting them with their school work. She is responsible for the welfare of the children; in such her roles include carrier counseling, encouraging the girls to study and welfare support discussing any personal problems that the supported children may have. She is kindhearted; her presence ensures a supportive environment in which the children of SSF can flourish.

Pholla Kang,22, Livelihood Coordinator

Pholla is a youngest son of a poor family who has six blood brothers. His father and mother died since he studied at 6th grade. Pholla lives and raises two nephews who lost their parents by AIDs. Pholla could pass his associate degree in farming system with fully sponsorship from a community church in Takeo.He gained a lot of knowledge on farming works as he was assigned to intern nine months at Battambang University. He acquires sound knowledge and skills on his learned subjects; mushroom culture, fish raising, earthworm culture, rice propagation and organic vegetable gardening. Moreover, he gained knowledge especially on how to grow ornamental plants as well as research on green disease of orange trees in Battambang province and soil study in Kampong Chhnang.

Pholla has a number of roles within SSF and truly is an indispensable member of the team. His official title is Livelihood Program Coordinator. This title refers to the projects that he brings to SSF which are primarily agriculture based. As an example he has recently instigated a straw mushroom project, more details of which can be found on the blog. This project involves the cultivation of a lucrative crop with only a small initial investment. The idea is that he co-ordinates with the kids in the commune who help him to put his projects into practice. So in the SSF centre itself a pilot model is produced under the guidance and instruction of Pholla which the kids can learn from and then implement themselves with their own families. So tuition is a key part of his work here.

On top of this Pholla is responsible for interviewing families in the surrounding area and trying to see what SSF can do to provide for them or help them in any way. Oftentimes he is the one responsible for the finding the solution for the rehabilitation of families which are stuck in the jaws of poverty.

Sarith Suy, Physiotherapist

Sarith Suy graduated advanced diploma on physiotherapy from Singapore in 2007. He was a former student of Technical School for Medical Care in 1997. So far, Sarith works full-time with American Red Cross in Kampong Speu province in position of Physiotherapy Supervisor. He had actually experienced assessing and evaluating people who have physical diseases both in community or center. Additionally, while he worked in Singapore General Hospital, biggest hospital in Singapore, he worked with Neurological, Orthopedic and Cardiopulmonary and other cases. Sarith is very pleased to work focusing on people with disability in Cambodia where he would have a wide scope for my abilities.

Now SSF support a HIV/AIDs family who have a daughter who suffers from cerebral palsy condition, one of Sarith’s roles is to help her by administrating a course of physical and occupational therapy treatments.

Chenda Hem, Accountant (part-time)

Chenda Hem, 21, passed associated degree from a local church high school in a remote rural area of Takeo province and present she studies accounting degree at Vannda Accounting University in Phnom Penh on weekend program. So far, she works full-time with another organization but we are luckily as she agrees helping us part-time on financial and accounting work in evening from Monday to Thursday. Since SSF has her- everything is going smoothly on accounting system as she tries to organize and enter all accounting data that we bulk so far since this organization doesn’t have accountant to in-charge on. Chenda commits to enter and clean data and her work will be made us possible in auditing conduction in September.

Brandon Coberly, Administrative Intern

Brandon Coberly feels he is so fortunate to be able to take the opportunity to work with the Sao Sary Foundation as their administration intern. He feels this is going to be a “great opportunity to gain experience in the field of anti-human trafficking through field research and analysis of slavery issues, while at the same time being able to participate in actions to impede the exercise of trafficking in humans”. He comes to SSF to complete the last segment of his MA degree in Intercultural Service, Leadership, and Management with the School for International Training (SIT) Graduate Institute; where he spent countless months researching issues related to trafficking in humans. After his short stay at SSF he hopes to continue to work on researching issues of slavery and combating trafficking. Brandon has a favorite quote that he feels everyone, in any field, that provides a social service to those who are at-risk and abused should keep in their heart and mind: “We cannot rely upon on the silenced to tell us they are suffering.” – Hanan Ashrawi.