Cambodia & Consular Elections: Mona Hard — A Grassroots Woman Serving the French Community of the Kingdom

Mona Hard is a marketing and events director in the tourism sector. Having lived in Cambodia for fourteen years, after eight years in China, she has made this country her adopted home and is raising her two daughters there, who are enrolled at the French Lycée René Descartes.

Mona Hard

Long committed to French families — first as a parent representative, then within the AEFC where she served as vice-president — she coordinated aid efforts during the health crisis and launched summer camps for children from struggling families, which have been held every year since. President of Français du Monde-ADFE since September 2025, she is also leading a project to combat violence against women and cyberbullying.

It is with this grassroots commitment that she presents her candidacy today alongside Florian Bohême, in service of all French nationals in Cambodia.

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Interview with a Woman in the field

Could you introduce yourself briefly — your background, your training, and your personal story. What connections have you built with French institutions present in Cambodia (embassy, French lycée, Alliance Française, chamber of commerce, etc.)?

My name is Mona. I am a marketing and events director in the tourism sector and I have been living in Asia for over twenty-two years: eight years in China, then fourteen years in Cambodia.

Mother of two Franco-Khmer daughters enrolled at the French Lycée René Descartes in Phnom Penh, I am particularly attentive to issues affecting French families abroad, whether related to education, social protection, access to public services, or support for children from vulnerable families.

My story with Cambodia began in 2005, during a first trip that profoundly marked my life. I was immediately captivated by the country's rich culture, the kindness of its people, and the beauty of its landscapes. It was truly love at first sight, and I very quickly knew that one day I would settle here.

Life and Work in Cambodia

When I arrived in Cambodia, I joined a Cambodian group and worked for nearly eight years in the cosmetics industry. This experience allowed me to fully immerse myself in Cambodian society, understand its cultural codes, and build lasting relationships with the local population. A few years later, through my professional activities and my daughter's enrollment at the French Lycée René Descartes, I discovered the wider French and Franco-Cambodian community. I then met many families facing administrative difficulties, particularly regarding school scholarship applications. It was only natural that I began supporting them on a voluntary basis.

Award distinction with Jacques Guichandut and Anne-Laure Bartenay

This commitment led me to become an elected, voluntary parent representative on the School Board, a role I still hold today in order to defend the interests of families and ensure their voices are heard.

From 2020 to 2025, I became involved with the AEFC. First as a volunteer member, I quickly joined the board as treasurer, then vice-president. The initial goal was to be affiliated with a structure in order to better assist parents with their administrative procedures. With the arrival of Covid, new urgencies emerged to support our community:

• Distribution of financial aid and repatriation to France for the most destitute.

• Follow-up care for the most vulnerable individuals.

• Food assistance carried out through the formation of a group of volunteers from the restaurant industry and helpers like myself: every morning, in the kitchens of French restaurants in Phnom Penh, we prepared meals or boxes of food supplies that we then distributed throughout the city, to both Cambodians and French nationals in need. We would then return home to work online for our employer and to raise funds for the food distributions.

Once the pandemic had passed, I continued my work within the AEFC, particularly in support of families. It was at that time that the association, having received a grant, asked me to organize summer camps for children from vulnerable families or those severely impacted by the health crisis (French children who had lost a parent — unfortunately a significant number in Cambodia — or recipients of substantial scholarships).

Given the success among families and the very positive impact of this project on the children, it quickly became clear that it could not be limited to a single edition (the children are eager and very persuasive!).

Since then, this initiative has been renewed every year thanks to the support of French grants and the generosity of several sponsors, including my employer, who helped sustain the activities when resources ran short.

In 2025, I joined the association Français du Monde-ADFE, of which I was elected president in September. I am particularly championing a project close to my heart: the prevention and fight against violence toward women and young girls, as well as against cyberbullying, through the deployment in Cambodia of the mutual aid application The Sorority-SAVE YOU.

What motivated you to run in this election? What was the deciding factor?

I am running today, as in 2021, alongside Florian Bohême, because this candidacy is a natural continuation of the commitment we share and the work we have been carrying out for many years in service of the French community in Cambodia.

Through my associative experiences, my involvement with families, parent representatives, and people in vulnerable situations, I have seen just how significant the needs remain: assistance with administrative procedures, access to school scholarships, questions related to health, retirement, employment, and support in emergency situations.

Our collective has been active on the ground for a long time. We understand the realities experienced by the French community in Cambodia, and we wish to continue this work of listening, supporting, and representing them before French institutions.

This candidacy is therefore, above all, a commitment to continuity and service.

What does the title of Councillor for French Nationals Abroad mean to you — a responsibility, an honour, a tool for action?

It is, above all, a responsibility.

The mandate of Councillor for French Nationals Abroad is not an honorary distinction; it is a concrete commitment in service of our fellow citizens living outside France.

A councillor's mission is to represent the French nationals of their constituency before the consular authorities and French institutions. They must listen to the concerns of the community and faithfully convey the realities on the ground, whether relating to education, social protection, taxation, employment, security, or administrative procedures.

They also participate in the work of the consular council and contribute to discussions and decisions concerning school scholarships, social welfare, and support for the associative network.

But beyond the institutional aspects, a councillor must be available, accessible, and able to support French nationals when they encounter difficulties. They must act with integrity, impartiality, and in the general interest.

This is precisely the vision of the mandate that drives me, and that has guided Florian Bohême's action throughout his term. His seriousness, availability, and consistent commitment have helped advance many essential matters for the French community in Cambodia, whether concerning school scholarships or issues related to the Caisse des Français de l'Étranger.

In your view, what are the three main challenges facing French nationals living in Cambodia today?

The French community living in Cambodia is very diverse. The realities of an entrepreneur, a retiree, or a family with children are not the same. However, several concerns come up repeatedly.

The first challenge concerns education. The cost of schooling within the French network represents a significant financial burden for many families, even as the eligibility criteria for school scholarships tend to become more stringent.

The second issue is access to healthcare. International health insurance and contributions to the Caisse des Français de l'Étranger represent a high cost, which can be a barrier for some families, self-employed individuals, or retirees.

Finally, employment and economic stability remain a growing concern in an uncertain international context. Many French nationals living in Cambodia must contend with changes in the labour market, entrepreneurial difficulties, or situations of precarity that are sometimes overlooked.

Our role is to remain attentive to these realities and to advocate for concrete solutions tailored to everyone's needs.

How do you assess access to consular services for French nationals in Cambodia — are they sufficient, accessible, and appropriate?

The consular teams do remarkable work with constrained resources.

One of the particular challenges in Cambodia is that a significant proportion of French nationals residing in the country are not registered in the Register of French Nationals Established Outside of France. Yet the staffing allocated to the consulate is calculated, in part, based on the number of registered individuals.

This situation mechanically creates a heavy workload for consular officers, who must respond to the needs of a community larger than the one officially on record.

This is why it is essential to encourage consular registration. Beyond its individual benefit to each French national, it also contributes to greater recognition of our community and its needs by the French administration.