SAMBO LY
Founder, Cambodian Family Children Services (CFCS)
Cambodian Family Children Services' mission is to preserve traditional Khmer cultural and folk arts. This mission is especially remarkable when you consider the fact that 90% of Cambodian artists were killed during the Khmer Rouge genocide, so the traditional arts are at high risk of being lost. Thanks to the hard work and commitment of the dance teachers and students, CFCS is able to put on traditional Cambodian folk dance performances all over the Bay Area. Moreover, the older generation of Cambodian artists is now able to pass their traditions onto the next generation.
CFCS was founded by Ms. Sambo Ly to provide a weekly dance class to teach young Cambodian boys and girls classical and folk Cambodian dances. To get CFCS off the ground, Ms. Ly recruited the dance teachers and opened up her home every Friday to the teachers and 20 students, ages 8-16 yrs old. As part of their classical dance training, the students also receive Khmer literacy lessons in order to preserve the Khmer language.
CFCS's founder, Ms. Ly, has been a major pillar of the Cambodian community for decades. She also runs the annual Khmer New Year event at Hacienda Peralta, a historic park in Oakland, CA. This is the biggest annual cultural event for the Cambodian community of Oakland which draws thousands of people. This event was awarded a National Medal for Museum and Library service in 2017, issued by the Institute of Museum and Library Services. CFCS is a natural extension of her ongoing commitment to preserving the heritage of the Cambodian people and serving the Cambodian people.