The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has awarded a $100,000 grant to non-profit organization, Khmer Youth Association, and its partners Kiripost, the Coalition of Cambodian Farmer Community (CCFC), and Loveisdiversity to promote LGBT+ in Cambodia high schools.

Loveisdiversity is an online platform focusing on promoting the rights of the Cambodian LGBTQI community. The project being delivered will focus on three main areas: educating students about LGBT+ rights and issues, preventing LGBT+ discrimination in schools, and building the capacity of teachers and school staff to address LGBT+ issues.

The project will be implemented through a variety of activities, including developing and distributing educational materials about LGBT+, conducting training for students, teachers, and school staff, creating safe spaces for LGBT+ students in schools, producing promoted videos, and advocating for LGBT+ rights with policymakers and the public.

Prak Monirath, president of KYA, said that the project is also significant because it is the first of its kind in Cambodia. There are no other projects in the country that specifically focus on promoting LGBT+ in schools.

This project is a pioneer in the field and is expected to have a positive impact on the lives of LGBT+ students in Cambodia.

Prak Monirath, president of KYA. Kiripost/Siv Channa

"We want to do things that make schools free from LGBT+ discrimination, such as discrimination based on sexual identity," Monirath told Kiripost.

“By educating students about their rights, preventing discrimination, and building the capacity of school staff to address LGBT+ issues, the project will help to create a more inclusive and welcoming environment for LGBT+ students in Cambodian schools,” she said.

She added that the project is a welcome step towards addressing discrimination. By working with schools and communities to promote LGBT+, the project can help to create a more inclusive and welcoming environment for LGBT+ people in Cambodia.

The provinces being targeted are Siem Reap, Ratanakiri, and Phnom Penh.

seng.mengheng@kiripost.com