Cambodian Kids Jetting to the UK to Join in Premier League Pre-Match Ceremonies
Cambodian Kids Jetting to the UK to Join in Premier League Pre-Match Ceremonies
It’s nearly 14,000 kilometers (8,624 miles) from Phnom Penh to London, but for four lucky Cambodian kids, an upcoming journey to London won’t be measured in distance. It will be, instead, the most amazing, memorable and eye opening experience for these kids.
Two girls and two boys who play in the ISF-sponsored football teams and range in ages 11 to 13 will visit London, a city of history, countless classical landmarks, astonishing citizen diversity, unique cultural attractions, and home to world-class football. To add to the experience, on May 20th, the kids will be mascots accompanying the Tottenham Hotspur players as they walk out onto the pitch for the start of the match against Premier League rival Brentford Football Club. For this trip, the young players are beneficiaries of AIA Group, who is funding this once-in-a-lifetime trip, which includes visas, transportation, accommodations and the opportunity to enjoy the sights and sounds of London, and insurance giant AIA Cambodia, which is supporting the student’s travel arrangements.
The trip represents an array of “firsts” for the kids, who live amid distressed family circumstances in Cambodia. It’s their first passport, first visa and trip overseas. All four had caught up on delayed education — after losing years in school in order to support their families — by going to ISF in Phnom Penh before moving on to state schools.
Transitioning from kicking a round ball on a bare football field at home to walking, hand in hand with professional footballers from Tottenham Hotspur, onto a shining, green Premier League pitch may have been beyond the imagination of kids who live in crushing poverty in Cambodia.
Follow the children’s journey on Facebook, Instagram and Linkedin to see what they’re up to in the UK.
