About Us

Yodifee (Youth with Disabilities Foundation for Education and Employment) is a Cambodian non-governmental organization, based in Takhmao in the Kandal district, that seeks to empower young Cambodians with disabilities through education and training, leading to employment and self sufficiency.

Yodifee grew out of LaValla Primary Schoolfor children with physical disabilities, a school created and run by the Marist Brothers. Yodifee itself started operating in 2002 through funds received by The Marist Mission Centre in Australia(MMC). Originally based in Phnom Penh, Yodifee moved premises to a specially built complex in Takhmao, a few kilometres outside the capital, in 2005.

Yodifee came about because a need was felt to help the youth who had graduated from LaValla school. Many of these young people were struggling to become self-sufficient even though they had received a basic education.

Yodifee is the next step for a lot of the LaValla graduates, providing opportunities for secondary and tertiary education through support programmes such as those provided by The Stichting Liliane Fonds and The Fulford Foundation.

Yodifee provides the support needed for students to be able to participate in these programmes, such as accommodation, food, transport, and schooling costs. Our home for young people in Takhmao, Villa Maria, which also serves as our main premises, is an example of this. This home is supported by many donors including MMC and Fondazione Aiutare i Bambini as well as The Stichting Liliane Fonds.

We also offer vocational training, sometimes through locally based service providers such as The Jesuit Training Centre in Kandal, and after that has been completed, we offer microfinance options - the chance to access a low interest or interest–free loan and in some cases a grant to help set up an individual business. Many Cambodian youths with disabilities also train and find work through our Yodicraft and Yodifarms initiatives.

Yodifee’s work has now expanded. Because of the generosity of our donors, we decided not to limit ourselves to LaValla graduates, and now offer our services to many other disabled youths from around the country. For example we now provide schooling assistance to over 300 children from areas of Cambodia. Our microfinance plan can also be accessed by other disabled Cambodians who have not trained with us.

We feel that the way that Yodifee operates has always resembled a family more than any other type of unit, with all the triumphs and tribulations that such a situation inevitably brings with it. We are very proud of this, particularly as we see the Yodifee family grow and develop.