SAME stands for Start A Movement for Equality.
“Same same but different” is a common colloquial expression used endearingly throughout Cambodia. It can be heard in the markets, within tuk tuk groups, in the Temples and among friends. “Same same NOT different” is what the organisation strives to achieve when Cambodians think about gender.
Our Logo, the equals sign, combines both this hope and the UN symbol for equality.
A “gut feeling” first brought Niamh Cooney from Baylin to Cambodia where she fell in love with the place and the people. Having studied human rights in NUIG, she decided to travel to the Southeast Asian country for three months in 2016 but ended up staying for four years.
“On a trip on the lakes, a woman offered me her child to buy for 15 dollars. She almost begged me to buy the child for 15 dollars. So immediately on that day, I wanted to know why someone could offer their child like that, and I wanted to do something about it.”
