Sreymech is a 13-year-old Cambodian orphan who lives with her grandmother in a stuffy, corrugated shack which they share with another family.

She roams the streets daily, scavenging for plastic bottles, cans and other knick-knacks to sell in order to support herself and her ageing grandmother. But she does so between 7pm and 3am, so that in the mornings and afternoons she is able to go to school and study to fulfil her dream of becoming a “great doctor”.

She has yet a long way to go and many hurdles to overcome, including university tuition fees which she would need to find money for in the future, but she is hopeful and determined.

All I know is that when I help these children, I feel very happy

Sreymech is just one of thousands of orphaned children who roam the streets of the capital of Phnom Penh, many of whom are homeless, impoverished and uneducated.

Yet three remarkable Cambodians are dedicating their lives to feed, support and enable these unfortunate children to have a better future. They run three NGOs and have partnered up with Drama Outreach Project, a Maltese NGO set up by actor Alan Montanaro to offer underprivileged children in developing countries the opportunity to learn drama and English.

From left: Ngauv Chhiv, Pel Sophorn and Ouk Moninarom selflessly dedicate their lives to helping street children in Cambodia have a better future. Photo: Chris Sant Fournier

Ngauv Chhiv, 63, runs Le Restaurant des Enfants, a victory kitchen for street children in Phnom Penh. He survives on sponsors but manages to feed between 250 and 300 children daily. He also provides transport for them, medical attention and basic hygiene facilities.

Pel Sophorn, 30, is the programme manager for the Volunteer for Children and Development Organisation which supports street children and children infected with HIV/Aids, providing them with care, education and vocational training.

Ouk Moninarom, 49, is the head of the Sacrifice Families Orphans Development Association and runs an orphanage, giving children the luxury of shelter, regular meals and a basic structure through which they are more likely to grow and develop into successful adults. The three were recently in Malta, meeting those parents who were sponsoring children from their organisations or who have adopted a child from Cambodia.

Ms Sophorn herself is a former sponsored child, who hails from a poor family and was only able to attend and complete her university studies after Mr Chhiv helped her through a sponsorship programme.

“I was so thankful to Mr Chhiv that I have now joined him in the restaurant so that I can help give street children a better chance at life. I used to be one of those children once,” she recalled.

Mr Chhiv is a survivor of the Pol Pot regime, the man responsible for overseeing one of the worst genocides of the 20th century.

The genocide of the 1970s saw over 1.7 million of the population killed in just four years. The pain Cambodia suffered has left deep scars which are still evident. Today, the victims of Cambodia’s past are the children.

At the time, to escape the series of purges of anyone with an education, Mr Chhiv, who was a teacher, removed his spectacles (a sign of being educated) and went to work in the fields, pretending to be a farmer.

He explained that, therefore, most of the current children’s parents are uneducated people, who do not understand how important it is to send their children to school. Children are sent out to work to support their families, either by working in the fields, factories or scavenging the rubbish for trinkets to sell.

“Ten, 20 years ago, I remember a number of children in rags, begging for money in the streets. Now they are grown up and can speak English and have a good job,” he said, by way of explaining what drove him to dedicating his life to helping children.

“All I know is that when I help these children, I feel very happy.”

Mr Montanaro, who will be leaving for Cambodia along with the rest of the Drama Outreach Project team in August, said that if there was one thing these people shared, it was their dedication to the children they worked with.

“They refuse to succumb to the reality of poverty and let the reality these children were born into determine their fate. Sophorn, Chiv and Moninarom are fighting to give them a chance in life.

“Drama Outreach Project works closely with these exceptional individuals to ease the struggle they face on a daily basis. Through funds raised, we invest in the children by giving them access to basic needs as well as a better education – a luxury that unfortunately many children in Cambodia cannot afford.”

Donations may be done electronically at HSBC IBAN MT09 MMEB 4406 0000 0000 0621 4779 001 or BOV IBAN MT16 VALL 2201 3000 0000 4002 1922 208.

Alternatively, visit www.dramaoutreachproject.org for more details.