Route Out of Poverty for Cambodian Children

Bill Brower is a Field Program Officer with GlobalGiving who is visiting our projects throughout Southeast Asia. On January 20, he visited the projects at Roteang. This education project on GlobalGiving is fully funded, but The Sharing Foundation hopes to post another project soon. (Click here to hear Dr. Hendrie describe it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IICmtE48eXo)

Dr. Nancy Hendrie (Founder) and Chan Kim Leng (Country Director) have an unquestionable commitment to honesty and getting things done “right”. When I asked about the origins of this project, Dr. Hendrie said they’d asked the chief of the village, “What’s your community’s biggest need?” He replied, “The guys out back”, referring to men on the outskirts of the village who drink too much and domestically abuse their wives. The Sharing Foundation said they could arrange for jobs for them on their farm, but only if they sent their children to their literacy school.

For 35 of the poorest families in the village who participate, it’s a real win-win. The family gets $2/day income and some produce from the fields; the kids get to finally go to school and try to catch up with their peers. The fathers also get training in how to manage a family, the importance of education for kids and information about the problems associated with drinking and domestic violence.

A sure sign of effectiveness: Dr. Hendrie said the principal of the local public school asked if he could send some of his students who were struggling a bit to The Sharing Foundation school since students seemed to learn faster there. As you can see in the pictures, the class rooms are basic but sufficient for holding two lessons. The kids seemed to be engaged in their lessons—even when we were around having a look.

Keep a look-out for the Sharing Foundation’s vaccination project on GlobalGiving soon!

Links:

• Dr. Hendrie describes the vaccination project