Learning, Play, and Purpose: Discover how Enfants d’Asie Empowers Futures Through Education and Sport
For over 35 years, Enfants d’Asie has been committed to providing sustainable support to disadvantaged children across Southeast Asia. Their core philosophy is grounded in a holistic, long-term approach that goes beyond ensuring access to education, focusing instead on creating the conditions that allow each child to succeed and grow into an autonomous, responsible adult. This approach integrates educational, social, and emotional support, carefully adapted to local realities and delivered in close collaboration with families, schools, and community partners.
At Fondation de France Asia, we believe strongly in Enfants d’Asie’s mission, which is why we are proud to partner with the organisation to further strengthen its programmes in Cambodia, where structural challenges continue to limit access to quality education.
To respond to these challenges, Enfants d’Asie works closely with local and international partners, in this instance PLAY International, an international NGO that leverages sport and play as tools for education and social inclusion—to deliver context-appropriate, locally anchored solutions. This collaboration includes the development of a training framework adapted to the Cambodian context, ensuring the programme’s effectiveness and long-term impact.
Guided by the belief that education is a powerful lever for breaking the cycle of poverty, Enfants d’Asie prioritises initiatives that equip children with both academic knowledge and essential life skills, placing children’s well-being and development at the centre of its work.
Could you elaborate on how the core philosophy of Enfants d’Asie informs your new “Supporting Education Through Sport” initiative in Cambodia?
The new initiative “Supporting Education Through Sport” in Cambodia, developed in partnership with PLAY International, is a direct embodiment of their core philosophy. In Cambodia, where public schools are often overcrowded and teacher-centered methods dominate, many children supported by Enfants d’Asie struggle to master basic academic skills (especially in mathematics).
This project leverages the power of play and sport as innovative educational tools to strengthen foundational numeracy skills among 450 children, while also fostering psychosocial competencies such as emotional regulation and communication. Through localized training of educators, co-development of playful pedagogical content, and regular hands-on sessions with children, the project enhances both the academic and social development of beneficiaries.
By integrating game-based learning into our broader educational support strategy, we ensure that learning is more inclusive, engaging, and adapted to children’s needs (thus strengthening their chances of academic success and long-term integration into society). In essence, this project reflects our core belief (sustainable change begins with empowered children).
Beyond the immediate goal of improving numeracy, what long-term impact do you anticipate this “education through sport” model will have on the broader educational path and professional integration of the children supported by Enfants d’Asie in Cambodia, and are there plans to scale this approach?
The project aims to have a long-term impact on the social and professional integration and inclusion of the participating children. In addition to strengthening essential mathematical skills, the activities will also contribute to the development of psychosocial skills. This teaching method has been tested and proven in numerous previous projects by our partner PLAY International. The three-step inclusive education through sport method aims to develop psychosocial skills (verbal communication, expressing opinions, etc.), cognitive skills (decision-making, problem-solving, etc.) and emotional skills (self-esteem, stress management, self-confidence, etc.) in children, adolescents and young adults.
The first two stages are devoted to sports games, starting with traditional games and then moving on to codified games. During the third stage, participants reflect on their experiences in the game, identify the psychosocial skills they used to succeed and make the connection with how they can use them in their daily lives.
In summary, this project will contribute to the overall development of future adults in academic, psychosocial, emotional and physical terms, and will enable them to be better positioned for their socio-professional integration. Years 2 and 3 of the project propose a geographical extension of activities and a transition to the national level.
The partnership between Fondation de France Asia and Enfants d’Asie reflects a shared belief that sustainable impact begins with empowering children today to become capable, independent adults tomorrow. With continued support, programmes like this can expand their reach, strengthen local education systems, and offer more children the opportunity to break free from cycles of vulnerability.
To explore more about Enfants d’Asie’s work in supporting disadvantaged children and strengthening communities across Southeast Asia, please visit their website: https://enfantsdasie.com/
By supporting Enfants d’Asie, you can help enable access to quality education, innovative learning tools, and pathways to long-term social and professional integration for children in Cambodia and across Southeast Asia. Together, we can help ensure that every child has the chance not only to learn, but to thrive and shape a more hopeful future.
