Friends-International (FI) was born on the streets of Phnom Penh, Cambodia in August 1994, in the aftermath of years of genocide and conflict in the country. Founder and Executive Director, Sebastien Marot, and two of his friends who were traveling through Phnom Penh at this time, were deeply moved by the plight of the street children and decided to find safe alternatives for them. By listening to the needs of the children and the communities, they developed an innovative and creative approach to provide holistic services to marginalized children, youth and their families so that they can become productive members of society and their country.
FI works in Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Thailand and with almost 50 partners around the world, providing comprehensive social services to marginalized urban young people and their families. Since its inception, FI has supported the education, well-being, and sustainable reintegration of more than 300,000 marginalized children, youth, and caregivers.
FI pursues the empowerment and protection of children and youth through a variety of projects that fall into four programs: Friends Programs, ChildSafe Movement, ChildSafe Alliance, and Friends Social Business.
In recognition of its impact, FI has been named Top 100 NGOs by the Global Journal in 2012 and 2013.
According to social-cycles.com and en.wikipedia.org
