The Problems
Families in rural areas depend on farming as their main source of income. Most parents are uneducated and need to realize the importance of educating their children. Farming in Cambodia, as in many other countries, is hard work, and families struggle to earn enough money to meet the basic needs of survival. They feel that if their children attend school, they will lose valuable help with labor, household duties, and childcare. Schools are often a long distance away from villages, and as purchasing a bicycle may not be within reason, just getting to school is often an obstacle. These problems are shown in UNICEF’s education report, which found that in 2010/11, fewer than 50% of students who enrolled in year 1 completed their primary education. The report also found that 17% of primary schools in Cambodia didn’t even offer the full six grades of primary school, adding another difficulty.
The Solution
COSD believes that every child has the right to an education. Through our projects, we aim to provide basic education to children in rural areas who would otherwise not have the chance to attend school due to circumstances out of their control. The following programs have been initiated to rebuild a nation one child at a time.
Our projects
Prey Thmei Village FREE educations school
The program started in early 2013 and has been well-received by community members. The students are such keen learners that they began to appear outside Son’s house on Saturdays and Sundays, books in hand and eager to study. To quench their thirst for knowledge, weekend classes have been added.
As the number of students grew, we realized it was critical to build a safe, clean, and quiet environment for them to learn instead of the small lean-to we had available. With the hard work of many Cambodian, Australian, and German people, we made this dream a reality in 2015. We now have a basic school building with two classrooms and an additional area for community meetings. We plan to continue improving the school as much as possible and are building a bathroom block.
Students Sponsorship program
After a visit to the floating village of Kampong Pluk in late 2012, Mr. Nathalie was inspired to help improve the lives of children living in extreme conditions of poverty. The idea behind the program is to provide full support of a child’s educational needAfter visiting the floating village of Kampong Pluk in late 2012, Mr. Nathalie was inspired to help improve the lives of children living in extreme poverty. The idea behind the program is to provide full support for a child’s educational needs individually. Our focus is on children from rural areas, and the goal is to support them throughout their academic careers so that they can obtain a minimum high school education. Students from underprivileged families most at risk of dropping out of school are recommended through close personal contacts in each village. Once accepted into the program, COSD pledges to support them until they graduate high school. Throughout their sponsorship, the students are provided with food, accommodation, school supplies (including uniforms), and other necessary items as required. COSD meets regularly with the students to monitor their progress and provide moral support.
Our greatest wish is to see this program expand so that more children can receive the gift of education.s on an individual basis. Our focus is on children from rural areas and the goal is to support them throughout their educational career so that they may obtain a minimum of a high school education. Students from underprivileged families and who are most at risk of dropping out of school are recommended through close personal contacts in each village. Once accepted into the program, it is COSD’s pledge to support them until they have graduated from high school. Throughout their sponsorship, the students are provided with food, accommodation, school supplies (including uniforms) and other necessary items as required. COSD meets regularly with the students in order to monitor their progress and provide moral support.
It is our greatest wish to see this program expand so that more children can receive the gift of education.
Bikes for Books
For children in rural areas, schools are often several kilometers away, and students must either walk or ride a bicycle. One common obstacle that prevents children from attending school is the need for transportation. The expense of a bicycle cannot be justified for families whose monthly income is equivalent to the cost of a bicycle. The Bikes for Books program provides bicycles to students living below the poverty line so they can at least get to school. If they can get there, they have a chance.
Changing Viewpoints
An initiative to change the view of education among the older generation is also being taken. Mr. Son regularly meets with the community members to discuss Khmer history and the importance of reeducating the population. Through these motivational speeches, he hopes to create awareness and understanding surrounding the benefits of education for all.