Scholarships help to realise career dreams
When Ri was 12, her father died. A year later, her mother, too, passed away. Ri’s siblings had moved to find work, so she was left alone with few employment options.
She decided she wanted to help others, and was eventually elected as Commune Child Club leader.
“In this role, I taught handicrafts to children, traditional Khmer dancing, and personal hygiene,” she said. “I also encouraged children to go to school.”
Education is important
Seventeen-year-old Kheum has shown similar determination. The eldest of four children, she was just 14 when her mother died of tuberculosis. To pay for the tuberculosis treatment, her father had sold his land and rice field, essentially giving up his livelihood and plunging the family into poverty.
Thanks to a project set up by the Phnom Penh-based Krousar Yoeung organisation and supported by Plan, Ri and Kheum will be able to complete their studies. Ri can pursue her ambition to work for an NGO, and Kheum can work towards her dream to become a
seamstress.
“It is important for children to have an education because it means that in the future, they can find jobs and generate income,” said Kheum, who still works in the fields and takes care of her siblings.
“They can also help develop their communities. With support from the project, I have been able to buy a bicycle, food, a uniform, two pairs of shoes, books and other study materials. Without this support, it would be very difficult for me.”
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Building schools
Plan relies on teachers and village leaders to identify the poorest families. Home visits assess family income and the number of children, and then an application for financial help is submitted.
“This help is important,” said Mrs. Mao Linh, a member of the School Support Committee at Chup Primary and Junior High School.
“When all the children in this area have education, they will have much better lives. Some students want to study so much, but do not have the opportunity. Giving them that opportunity is good.”
Until recently, there was no school in this remote region, said Ms. Him Thory, Plan Cambodia Learning and Education Technical Coordinator. The nearest provincial school was still hard to get to on rough roads, and the long trip to school put children at risk. With Plan’s support, eight primary schools were built in Angkor Thom.
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Hard to find good teachers
But with the challenges of low wages and the remoteness of the region, finding good teachers has been difficult.
“Teachers are often untrained and have no books or teaching materials,” Him Thory said.
“They may also have limited knowledge themselves, and some have to move from primary to secondary schools simply because there are no teachers to teach at the higher level. They do the best they can.”
Plan is supporting the pre-school project and persuading parents, who often have no education themselves, that sending their children to school will improve their options in life. With the collaboration of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport, Plan intends to provide
teacher training and set up remedial classes for children who find school challenging.
Last year Plan educated more than 63,000 teachers.
