Documentary on the dumpster children of Phnom Penh, and the couple that changed their lives!
How an ordinary French couple created "the best school for the poorest children" in a war-torn land
Join us on August 19th at 6pm for a screening and discussion of the short documentary film, "Little Gems," by noted French cineast Xavier de Lauzanne. Fred Rogers of Cazenovia will introduce the film with a brief presentation on the recent history of Cambodia and the origin of Pour un Sourire d'Enfant (For a Child's Smile, or PSE), a comprehensive school and vocational training center in Phnom Penh serving nearly 7,000 destitute children annually. Twenty-nine years ago, Marie-France and Christian des Pallières discovered hundreds of children scavenging in the hellscape of the city's municipal dump to support their families. The country was still reeling from civil war and the atrocities of the Khmer Rouge regime. Horrified, they left their comfortable suburban Paris life and moved to Phnom Penh to set up a simple feeding station at the dump. They went on to build a school which has blossomed into a full-service educational institution and social services center. Today, PSE comprises day and boarding schools, medical and dental facilities, vocational training programs, and two dozen satellite locations across Cambodia's sprawling capital city. Fred, who is a board member of the American Friends of PSE, has traveled three times to Cambodia, most recently last February when he spent a week living at the school with a group of French fellow volunteers. Come learn about this extraordinary organization whose motto, "From Poverty to a Profession," is lived out every day for some of the poorest children on earth.
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From Utica Route 5 west to Chittenango. Left on 13 south to Cazenovia. Route 13 joins Route 20 in Cazenovia. Library is across Route 20 from Route 13 on left. Library is located on Route 20 - third building East of traffic signal on South side. White Greek Revival building with pillars. Parking behind the library.
