Rural Education in Cambodia: Believe in Me

The students and staff are back to class! After a trying month in January, a ceasefire was declared and many families and staff were able to return home. During the conflict, our teachers were still dedicated to their students. Teachers did their best to contact students, assure their safety and help them continue their studies. The teachers prepared lessons for them to learn at home. Some teachers were staying close by students and were able to visit and give lessons in person. The dedication and efforts of the staff helped many students feel less anxious about the conflict, giving them something else to focus on. The students who were able to study, also did not have to worry about falling behind. 

Early in February, Thai soldiers still occupied areas that have historically been Cambodian. In one incident, soldiers set a forested area on fire close to our Rangsei school. As the fire burned, it set off landmines, which sounded like bombs going off.

While families carry on with life, there is little commerce and the income of many families are affected. We will keep you posted, as the situation unfolds.

Only a small number of students have not returned yet. Our staff are dedicated to the children and their safety. We are monitoring the situations closely to make sure that all our students and staff stay safe. The efforts our staff have made is humbling and a testament to their dedication to our BIM students.

In January, the dry and cooler weather in Cambodia makes it a perfect time to enjoy hot, savory dishes like Fish Amok (coconut curry), Bai Sach Chrouk (grilled pork and rice) and Kuy Teav (noodle soup). Lunch continues to be a favorite part of the students’ day. They are all hearty eaters and very helpful in cleaning up after themselves. The balanced, nutritional meals make sure our students have all the energy and nutrients necessary to succeed in the classroom.

Getting back into their “normal” schedule has helped the kids settle back into life. Once again, the students’ free time is filled with laughter, running and playing. Many students missed their friends and socialization. It has been gratifying for the staff to see the students settle back into their routines. Jump rope, running and playing on the play equipment are still favorite activities.

STUDENT SPOTLIGHTS:

Cory - 3 grade (New to our program)

Cory is the second child in his family. Cory’s family lives in the landfill area. His parents work by collecting bottles and other items to exchange for money. Cory’s family is very happy that he can study at our BIM school, receive a good education and get lunch each day. They are very thankful to our school for giving Cory the opportunity to be a student. So far, Cory is enjoying learning in his class.

Eden - 5 grade

Eden is very happy to be back in school, able to learn again. Eden is a quick learner and caught up easily after the school’s shutdown. During Eden’s free time, she enjoys playing with her classmates in the school yard. Playing catch and jumping rope with her friends are some of Eden’s favorite activities. She also likes to stay in her classroom to help her teacher with classwork, before the next lesson begins.

Paxton - 2 grade

Paxton is thrilled to be back in school. However, he still needs more time and support. Like many of the students, the conflict affected his learning and made it difficult for him to study. Paxton can remember some of the lessons he learned and when reviewing lessons with his teacher, he has done a good job. Paxton finds repeating words after his teacher a fun activity. He hopes to work hard and get better grades next quarter.

Last year, you generously supported LWB in giving the gift of education, nutrition and future opportunities to 587 children, in the Rangsei and Sokhem Village Believe In Me programs. 95 of these students live in a local landfill, where education was not even possibility! Thank you for believing in LWB and helping to change the lives of our Rangsei students.

Links:

• http://www.lwbkids.org

November-February is known as the dry or cool season in Cambodia, with temperatures dropping to the 70s (low 20s in Celsius). Almost all the children wear winter coats, sweaters, and long sleeves to stay warm and avoid falling ill. We have some children who say they love the cool weather because they focus even better during lesson time. They’ve also told us they especially love basking in the cooler temperatures during their pay time.

This last quarter, teachers taught many new topics and facilitated their normal monthly exams. The material taught posed difficulties for some of the students. However, after completing homework, getting extra instruction and lots of repetition, those that struggled are catching up.

Our Grade 5A teacher expressed her happiness in seeing students pass her classes. “It is gratifying to see students learn and master new topics and be able to move forward with their education.”

Now that we are a couple months into the school year, students have settled in. Our staff are seeing an increase in grades and when students struggle with new lessons, they seem to be catching on faster.

Computer class at Believe In Me Rangsei School continues to be very popular. The teacher has structured the class with five minutes of typing practice before jumping into the daily lesson. This has helped the students remember the keyboard, type more accurately and put the students in the right frame of mind for the lessons. Since implementing this warmup period, the computer teacher has been very pleased with the students’ improvement and ease with which they transition into new lessons.

Lunch is a joyful time for our BIM Rangsei School students. Some of the students help their teacher prepare the tables before the rest of the students arrive. Everyone is thrilled to enjoy a hot lunch together. Eating delicious, nutritious food and building bonds with classmates is an important part of our students’ day. It is also vital in helping make sure our students can concentrate on their lessons and grow in a healthy manner.

Our BIM Rangsei students are always active, but this last month, there has been extra pep in all of their activities.

The most popular activities are jumping rope and playing catch. From enjoying the playground to walking around the school campus, all the students stay active during their free time.

The preschool students have been working on their fine motor and gross motor skills, organizational skills and agility, while playing fun outdoor games.

Racing to stack water bottles in a straight line was a student favorite.

Kira - 3rd grade

Kira enjoys all subjects but especially likes math because they are working on three-digit addition and subtraction. Kira is clever and well-behaved. She is known for her beautiful handwriting.

In the evenings, Kira enjoys working on her homework with her sister. Kira’s parents have noted that as she has grown in school, her ability to help with chores at home has grown too.

Theodore - 4th grade

We are so excited to have Theodore back in class. After dealing with some health issues, Theodore is healthy and ready to learn. Despite missing a fair amount of school, Theodore is on track to graduate out of the Catch Up class. We are so happy for him and to see his hard work paying off.

As 2025 comes to a close, we want to express our deep gratitude to you for supporting our Believe In Me Rangsei School. You have made education, nutrition and proper childhood development possible. With your generosity, the sky is the limit for these kids. We look forward to sharing their continued growth with you.