Route Out of Poverty for Cambodian Children

KHMER LITERACY SCHOOL UPDATE A very proud moment arrived in October for Chheng Srey Mom and Hun Srey Neath, as well as for The Sharing Foundation and our Khmer Literacy School! Children of families in our farming cooperative project, they initially attended the literacy school out on the edge of the farm fields. They progressed to the public village school, then to the TSF English language school, and now they are ready for high school! This is the first time Khmer Literacy School students have progressed to this point, and it is a tribute to their families, too, that they are willing to give up the girls’ labor as farmers so they can pursue their educations.

Chheng Srey Mom, 16, whose parents stopped school in grades 3 and 7, and whose two grown brothers also stopped in grammar school, has completed grade 8. She first went to the Literacy school five years ago, then joined the public school at the 4th grade level, and also began after-school English classes with TSF. Srey Mom wants to be a teacher; her favorite subject is Khmer. At her interview, she wrote she “wants to work hard for high education, and when I have good knowledge, I can help my community.”

Hun Srey Neath, 17, has three siblings, all of whom left school in early grades; her father finished 7th grade, her mother, 6th. Srey Neath would like to be a doctor “to help children and give them advice.”

Both girls are now eligible for TSF’s High School sponsorship program. (See link to TSF's Winter 2007 newsletter for additional detail.)

Additional note: TSF's Khmer Literacy School was closed for several days this fall due to flooding during the heavy rainy season. See school photo.

PROFILE OF STUDENT IN TSF'S ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROGRAM Lun Vandy is an 11th grade student from Roteang Village who attends the Jayavarman VII High School. Her father is dead and her mother works for The Sharing Foundation’s cooperative farm project. Vandy has three older sisters and an older brother, all of whom quit school before grade 8. She also has a younger brother currently in grade 8.

Vandy has been studying English in the Foundation’s English language program for approximately three years. She was unable to afford any of the private classes at her high school, in which much of the real learning takes place, until she was sponsored by The Sharing Foundation one year ago. TSF’s sponsorship allows her to attend smaller high school classes which provide more individual attention. Vandy never misses her classes.

In addition, Vandy is currently enrolled in The Sharing Foundation’s computer school, where six students are rotated in, every six weeks. The students learn general use of Windows, basic word processing, and basic spreadsheets. The school has capacity to demonstrate how the internet works, but students do not yet have regular access.

Vandy would like one day to be an English teacher “because I can share my knowledge and experience with young Cambodians to develop the country.”

Links:

• TSF Winter 2007 newsletter