Why a first school in Cambodia??

During Cambodia's recent history 90% of teachers, amongst all intellectuals in the country, were massacred by the Khmer Rouge. The country still suffers from a huge lack of qualified teachers. As a result, in a country where more than 40% of the population are below 15 years old part-time lessons are given to classes of 60 to 80 children and girls are the first to be pushed out of a failing education system.
Whatsmore, poverty at this scale means that many families often have no choice than to put their daughters to work from as young as 8 years old. Prostitution has developed frighteningly quickly over the last few years finding many young girls being sold in brothels.
Educating these young Cambodian girls means protecting them from an often bleak destiny. Giving young women the chance to complete further education means giving them a chance to occupy key positions in their country, a first step in helping to lessen dependence on humanitarian aid.

What we have already achieved?

• Construction of a 1200m² school in the Prek Tmey region (13km from Phnom Penh) with funds raised from the "Marie Claire Rose" launched in Marie Claire magazine in March 2006. The "Happy Chandara" pilot school was built on a 3600m² site provided by the association's vice president. An extension of the building is planned for the third year.
• Teaching for the first two years, 200 severely disadvantaged young girls from six to ten years old, began on 7th November 2006. Most of the girls are going to school for the very first time and until now were working in the fields.
• Partnerships set up with different organisations (WFP, NGO Chain of Hope.) to manage the children's nutritional and medical care.
• Rice donations given to the girls and their families to compensate for the drop in household income now the girls are at school and no longer in the fields.

 

Our short-term objectives

• Teaching from primary school to the end of secondary school for around 100 girls per year (4 new classes of around 24 students each year)
• To provide full-time high quality teaching, for the first 5 years bilingually Khmer-English and from the end of primary school (around 11 years old), bringing in French language.
• To bring creative learning into the curriculum, highlighting the traditions and values of peace and equality in a country where the Khmer Rouge massacre has wiped out many peoples' references to these values.
• To cover the children's medical (vaccination, testing, treatment.) and nutritional needs (morning and midday meals will be taken at the school), and teach basic hygiene

 

Our long-term objectives

• Help our higher class pupils enter key professions, necessary for a country whose intellectual elite were wiped out in the genocide to progress: teaching, medicine, law, economics, tourism...
• Finance the girls further studies, both inside Cambodia and abroad. (The medical and law schools in Phnom Penh are of a high standard)
• Create a representation of women in Cambodia's future intellectual elite
• Replicate this project in other areas of Cambodia, and then in other emerging countries where girls rarely have access to good levels of education.

Important note: this project is totally complementary to the work of other NGOs present in Cambodia, most of who provide more basic schooling leading to employment in manual trades and essential labour.

Our contribution to social structure

In order for the school to be accepted in the region, and for the students not to fall victim to jealousy, or to be shunned by their communities it is important to work together with local authorities (the selection of girls to attend the school was done together with the local head of the district) and equally to bring support to the community. A library built on the edge of the school will be open to the village and support will be given to the often severely under-equipped local public schools.

The association leaders (all volunteers)

Tina Kieffer, founder and president of the association  :

Tina is a journalist (Editor-in-Chief of Marie Claire magazine) who has a deep knowledge of Cambodia and goes there several times a year. (Her 5th child came from a Cambodian orphanage). She works daily for the association, involved in everything from the teaching program to recruiting teachers to fundraising.

Hoa Nguon,  vice-president of the association :

Hoa is Cambodian, and a victim of Pol Pot's regime (her husband and parents were executed by the Khmer Rouge). She is active in rebuilding her country. She willingly provided 3,600m² of land as the site of the school. As a Cambodian resident, she has an excellent knowledge of the education system and local administration (Hoa qualified as a Pharmacist in France and worked for a long time in the Cambodian Ministry of Health).

Catherine Durand, vice-presidente of the association.

Catherine is also a journalist (Editor-in-Chief for society articles for Marie Claire). She has reported from many countries where the situation for women is unbearable and avidly supports schooling for girls as a cause. As a committed member of the association Catherine is involved in the recruitment of teachers and looking for sponsors.

« Toutes à l’école », also relies on a wonderful team of volunteers :

Georges Vicidomini, rigorous treasurer and super-saver ; Géraldine Alix, general secretary responsible for all that is administration…

The association members all have a complete knowledge of Cambodia and many have adopted Cambodian orphans.