OVERVIEW
This project will support five teachers run ten informal schools in five villages along the border of Cambodia and Thailand. Each teacher will teach 2 schools in their village – a morning and an afternoon school. Each school teaches reading and writing in Khmer, basic maths, and fun activities such as arts and crafts, drama and music. The informal school works on getting children into the formal school system, and aims over a 3 year period to get 90% of it’s students ready to attend the local government school. The children and parents will also be taught about trafficking, substance abuse, domestic violence, child rights and disaster preparedness through twice yearly village camps.
WHAT WE LIKE ABOUT IT
We appreciate the fact that our partner has identified the major barriers to children improving their lives which is not being able to attend school either because they are crossing the border for work with their parents or because they need to look after siblings while their parents cross the border. We also appreciate that our partner works with the whole village, educating them on a range of important subjects. They also seek to work with parents in a separate micro-finance project, to assist parents with earning a living where they live. They are heavily invested in their local communities.
BUDGET
This budget will pay a small salary to each teacher, and purchase supplies for the students including a tarpaulin on which they can learn.
THE NEED
This particular area of Cambodia has high unemployment and a lot of poverty. Many parents cross the border into Thailand looking for work. Some take their children with them, and others leave their children at home with grandparents, or in the care of the eldest child. The risks of child trafficking are high, and children are not educated, perpetuating the cycle of poverty.
LIFE CHANGE
