"Back to School" for Children in Cambodia!

Dear supporter,

Education is the most empowering force in the world. Education for children is the key to opening doors to a better life. When we reduce barriers to education, children are able to thrive. It’s not only about knowledge and numbers, access to education reduces a child’s involvement with gangs, drugs, and child labor and lowers the amount of teen pregnancies. Education leads to healthier childhoods and, ultimately, to higher education and greater economic opportunities. Nearly 60 million people could escape poverty if all adults had just two more years of schooling, and 420 million people could be lifted out of poverty if all adults completed secondary education, according to UNESCO.

Educators and students around the world have felt the extraordinary ripple effect of the pandemic as schools have had to shut down or enact strict health and safety restrictions. UNESCO data reports that 24 million students are at risk of not returning to school, dramatically exacerbating learning inequalities across the globe and threatening a loss of learning that may stretch beyond one generation of students.

JustWorld has been committed to empowering children through this global health crisis. Thanks to supporters like you, education has not stopped for the children served by the JustWorld Cambodian project, People Improvement Organization (PIO), located in Phnom Penh in Cambodia. Not only was PIO forced to shut down from March-September, but many of the families served by the programs faced job losses due to a lack of tourists and reduced demand for exports. Families struggle to meet the basic needs of their children. 

JustWorld project leaders have been supported in their outreach efforts to sustain students and families nutritionally and develop alternative teaching techniques, such as an effective online e-learning program and small group community based lessons, to prevent learning gaps during school closures and to keep students on course. PIO school administrators and social workers also were in contact with students to gradually get them back to school.

The academic year fully resumed in November. Grade 9 took their public examination, where pass rates are expected to exceed the 92% pass rate of the previous year. Grade 12 students also took their high school exit exam in late December. Grade 8 - 12 students are preparing for their annual book report competition, an event in which students work in teams of 4 to make presentations in English on a book or article they have read. Moreover, children are receiving hot, nutritious meals and access to medical care every single day.

As we continue to deal with the repercussions of COVID-19, JustWorld needs support now more than ever. Although the future is uncertain, children continue to rely on the services that JustWorld provides. We must continue to raise vital funding to sustain the JustWorld educational programs that ensure that no child is left behind. Please consider donating at: www.justworldinternational.org

Thank you.

Dear supporter,

As you know, there continues to be concerns and questions related to how schools around the world plan to reopen safely in the age of COVID-19. According to the UN Secretary General's policy brief on education, the pandemic has created the largest disruption of education in history, affecting nearly 1.6 billion students in all countries and continents and an additional 23.8 million children and youth could drop out or not have access to school next year due to the pandemic's economic impact alone. 

The JustWorld Cambodian project, People Improvement Organization (PIO), located in Phnom Penh in Cambodia, has been closed since late March at the direction of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport (MOEYS). The MOEYS is implementing a phased return to school for students across Cambodia. A mandatory safety measure requires that classes contain no more than 25 students. PIO school administrators and social workers are in contact with students and are gradually getting them back to school. 

Thanks to you, learning has not stopped for the children served by PIO. Your support is directly helping to limit the disruption of education and alleviate challenges faced with distance learning.  The teachers at PIO have continued to develop remote teaching techniques, utilizing available technology and preparing online curriculum, lesson plans and videos to keep their students engaged academically. 

Social workers are continuing to make home visits, distributing rice and vital supplies to the families in need. The meals and supplies families are receiving have become critical resources for their survival during the pandemic. 

As the world is faced with uncertainty and the threat of growing inequality, education must not halt. Now more than ever, these children need your help. If you would like to continue providing hope and support, please visit: www.justworldinternational.org.

Thank you.