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Young people in Cambodia face high levels of unemployment and there鈥檚 stiff competition for jobs. Klahan9 (which means 鈥渂rave鈥� in Khmer), launched in 2014, is an innovative multimedia initiative to help young people improve their employment prospects, and has become a popular youth brand.

In Cambodia, work experience is hard to come by. Its large population of young people often find it difficult to access career guidance and training. And young people who are in work often contend with low wages, informal contracts, insufficient on-the-job training and long working hours.

Between 2014 and early 2021, our youth brand Klahan9 has focused on supporting 15鈥�24-year-olds to establish their career goals and take practical steps to improve their ability to secure decent work.

Our youth-led TV show and aim to engage, inform, entertain and educate. Klahan9 gives 15-30 year-olds information about their training and career options, as well as advice on job-seeking and life in the workplace, and draws on key influencers to build support.

Brave young dreams

鈥楰lahan鈥� means 鈥榖rave鈥� in Khmer and this has been a central theme in supporting young Cambodians to achieve their dreams. A nationally representative study in 2020 showed that over half of the target group of 15-24 year old Cambodians are aware of Klahan9 (52%) and the vast majority of this group (92%) feel it is a trusted brand.

In the most recent phase of the project we produced 15 episodes of an engaging and popular TV comedy drama, , which followed the lives of three people at different stages of their lives and careers sharing a rented house, alongside a wise 鈥渉ouse spirit鈥�. Our social media content, in a variety of engaging formats, provides information and includes real-life role models to inspire young people.

To reach rural audiences, the Klahan9 team also went on the road with engaging face-to-face events, providing opportunities for participants to learn soft and life skills, gain relevant information and connect with others. Our 鈥渞oadshow academies鈥�, community screenings of Klahan9 content and training of youth ambassadors all helped reach young people living in remote parts of the country who would not otherwise have access to this information. 

The impact of Klahan9

Our research shows that Klahan9 has been a positive influence, providing knowledge, inspiration and motivation for young people. Audiences said they found it educational and entertaining.

• We reached nearly one million 15-24 year olds through the Klahan9 9 House TV programme, 1.27 million on Facebook and You Tube and 6,000 in outreach events. 
• By April 2021, our had over one million followers and an average of 208,000 users engaging per day with inspiring posts featuring real-life role models.
• Overall, 47% of 15-24 year-olds (1.46 million people) were reached by Klahan9 content in 2020.
•   Audiences found the content educational and inspiring and reported increased confidence, negotiation, communication and networking and life skills. 
• Some 65% of 15-24 year-olds exposed to Klahan9 said they had taken action or made a change. These actions include planning for the future by saving money, seeking support to help deal with problems and challenges and negotiating with parents to encourage them to help them accept their job goals. These can be seen as a starting point to driver a journey of future change.

We have also partnered with other organisations. In 2021 we worked with Pact to create specific content and outreach activities for young female entrepreneurs, to increase their knowledge and discussion around socioeconomic rights. Our evaluation shows that the WE are Klahan social media content, a WE Talk Business digital magazine show and online workshops significantly increased awareness of socio-economic rights. Findings from a panel of 102 urban youth also show that this awareness translated into action, with 38% of panellists exposed to the WE are Klahan content saying they had made a change (such as creating a new business strategy, strengthening their services or offer and researching business options and networks), and 79% reporting plans to take action in future.   

Watch this space

The next phase of Klahan9 鈥� Klahan9 SPACE 鈥� started in 2021. Using civic engagement. TV, digital, outreach and training activities, it is focusing on supporting young people to get actively involved in their communities, by equipping them with the knowledge, skills, networks and confidence to do so. 

Project information