Board Announcement – Executive Director Appointment

A Message From CIF’s Board of Directors

The Board of Directors of Children In Families is pleased to announce the appointment of our new Executive Director, Mr Sam Ol Um. Sam Ol has been a vital member of the CIF OSCAR team since 2016 and has 13 years of experience covering a range of senior management roles and responsibilities.

The Board would like to express our sincere and heartfelt gratitude to Ms. Lynny Sor, who has served as Executive Director for the past 7 years. Lynny took on the challenge of transitioning CIF in the absence of one of our key founders, Cathleen Jones, and then navigated CIF through all the unprecedented challenges that came with the COVID-19 years. Lynny is completing further university studies in Australia and we wish her all the best as she continues her studies throughout next year.

“Having experienced being a refugee myself, I understand the significance of a child growing up within a family. To make this a reality, a strong collaboration among all stakeholders is crucial. I firmly believe that through working together, we can address all emerging trends and social problems that could affect the welfare of children and their families. My vision for CIF is to serve as a catalyst for intervention, preventing family separation and ensuring that children, including children with disabilities, can flourish in a loving family environment.”

-Sam Ol Um

ESP Program

We also want to congratulate Lisa Yunker and her team on completing her Enhancing Service Provision and Child Protection Response for Children with Disabilities (ESP) project.  

Since 2012, Lisa has been a vital part of CIF and an advocate for children with disabilities. She founded our ABLE Program, which supports families of children with disabilities and chronic illnesses. 

For the past two years, she and her team worked tirelessly on this six-module training for community workers about people with disabilities. It was designed to give basic knowledge, skills, and awareness of resources available in Cambodia.

The curriculum was taught in several provinces. Participants who attended came from many different organizations and key government leaders, focusing on impacting attitudes toward disability and awareness in the communities. It also enhances networks and partnerships.

The program had a great impact, and CIF hopes to continue and expand efforts like ESP in the future, giving more people with disabilities greater visibility and options. 

Thank you for your continued support of the work of CIF.

Sincerely, 
The CIF Team