COVID 19 pandemic is continuing around the world. Particularly, in Cambodia is still pandemic in the community. Meanwhile the government of Cambodia issued a proclamation forbidding people reunites, following the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport still announced to all schools to be suspended, after school was closed all students stay at home, they did not receive any education, realizing that such as a difficult situation, the teachers of SCC-CBE school wanted all children to get education. Our teachers went to students’ home directly to teach, despite challenges the high risks. Being teachers always worry about students, if they do not get education and don’t come to school, they will forget everything what they have already learned and be afraid of enrolling class when the school reopen.
By understanding such issues, teachers’ SCC-CBE school never think about their own difficulties, they volunteered to visit the poorest students’ home to follow up them. As we know, the poorest families they do not much focus on their children education. Although studying at home is not the same as at school, it doesn’t teach all subjects as at school, but our teachers focus on English, Khmer literature and Math which are the main subjects. In addition, it is an opportunity for teachers to meet their students’ parents/guardians to counseling on how to encourage children to learn at home regularly, among of these parents/guardians should help to arrange the lesson, schedule and follow-up children’s study even drop out of school. On that occasion, the SCC-CBE teachers discussed to the students’ parents/guardians and whom stay nearby to know how to protect COVID 19 pandemic.
Bravo!
We would like to inform you that SCC-CBE School has already been reopened on January 18, 2021. This was informed by SCC Management Team and allowed by Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport of Cambodia.
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SCC-CBE SCHOOL SITATION DURING COVID-19
SCC-CBE teachers and school’s situations during COVID-19
Nowadays, due to the COVID-19 epidemic, our SCC-CBE Community School is closed and all the children are unable to go to school as usual. So our teachers are required to visit the children’s families who are living in the target areas. They go there to motivate and support the students with their studies and hardworking education site for children to get a better future.In addition, our teachers also informed the parents/guardians to encourage and monitor their children's studies. Moreover, the teachers would like to add more necessary points for all parents / guardians and children to keep continuing to practice their proper hand hygiene and protection against COVID-19.
By conducting home visits during theCOVID-19 pandemic, SCC-CBE School teachers discovered different fields of problems. To support parents/caregivers, the teachers raised issues to combat child abuse such as skilful parenting, the importance of their children’s studies, and hygiene in the communities. The meeting involved the parents for the purpose of giving the parents a perception of how to take care of their children, especially regarding the importance of their education. In the meeting, the participants (parents /caregivers) received knowledge on how to encourage, motivate and support their children’s learning.
Through questions the parents were asked, we found that their knowledge of children’s development has increased. They strive to be active in their children’s education. However, for some parents, it was a new experience to be involved in the development process of their children- These parents paid special attention to these topics. The parents/caregivers also gained knowledge on the seven guidelines for raising children: These are the following:
1) Raise children by providing adequate nutrition, 2) Raise children by educating their manners, 3) Raise children by forbidding them to do bad deeds, 4) Raise children by educating them to associate with good people, 5) Raise children by sending them to study, 6) Raise children by giving her/him warmth, and 7) Raise children by being a role model for them.
As a result, the parents committed to support and encourage their children to attend school regularly and to motivate them; the chances for vulnerable children are much higher to finish their studies successfully when the parents are supportive
Due to the good process of facilitating, all participants joined joyfully and listened to the SCC Core Trainer Monk. They made friends with one another, shared experiences about the care of their children and realized the consequences of negligence of children. The meeting finished cheerfully. The participants were communicative, approached others openly and warmly. The parents bravely talked to the SCC-CBE School teachers about problems concerning their children’s education. All in all, it was a very successful meeting.
The situations of CBE’s students’ families
Hanok, 5 years old, lives with his mother who is a widow. Currently, due to the COVID-19 outbreak, he has temporarily suspended his studies both at SCC-CBE School and Cambodia state school. In this reporting period, his family has faced many difficulty situations relating to their living condition and daily family welfare support. His mother said that before the outbreak she used to make a good income for her family selling fried bananas but now it is really so hard. She can only earn around 3.75 USD per day from selling the fried bananas. It is a small amount of money that is used to support their supplementary foods, her son’s studies, and the water and electricity fee and other needs at home. His family would to send Hanok go to study with SCC-CBE school again when the school reopen. They told us that if the SCC-CBE school reopen, they have more time to generate income for thier family than this time because this school are able to take care his son and give the knowledge to my son.
Sreyly, 5 years old, is an orphan. Her parents were drug users and both of them were in prison for five years. Now she lives with her grandma. As an old grandma who cannot find any other jobs, she decided to sell porridge (chicken, pork and fish rice porridge) on the sidewalk for earning money. She also has the high blood pressure (Hypertension). She has tried all her best to feed her granddaughter even though she is stuck in a poor living condition. She added that, despite of poor living conditions, I still struggle to raise my granddaughter, give her a chance in life and send her to school for getting an education like other children both at SCC-CBE School and state schools.
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Overview of SCC-CBE teachers and school situation
During the COVID-19 pandemic, SCC-CBE children were kept out of school because all schools have been suspended. This is following the guideline of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport instructed on March 15th 2020 with the goal of preventing the spread of the virus. From then till now, no classes were taught by any teachers in our school. However during all this time , our teachers and volunteers have been working on some school’s work such as reviewing the course outlines for the course books for all levels, revising lesson plans and examining students name lists for taking any intervention for helping them immediately. They also conducted follow-ups through phone calls or direct visits to their homes in order to guide them in preparing a schedule for self-learning at home. The teachers and volunteers have arranged other school management work too. In this reporting period, SCC Executive Director also asked our teachers to help with arranging and putting SCC’s financial documents in order for the SCC Head Office. This is a new work for them as well next to their usual tasks of teaching and learning at SCC-CBE School. Moreover, our teachers come to work and conduct peer learning, self-learning, and learning by doing at school five days per week in order to improve their teaching capacity and learning skills. They have reflected and learnt from this experience. By doing this they are getting ready before the school reopening; as a result, they have been strong in their jobs.
The situations of CBE’s student families
When the world was hit by COVID-19 pandemic, Cambodia was also affected and mostworkers in the informal economy sector, many of whom were poor before, are losing their incomes because there are no customers. The president of the Independent Democracy of Informal Economy Association (IDEA), said that the areas with many non-formal economic facing new problems during the COVID-19 outbreak included Sihanouk, Siem Reap and Phnom Penh, Cambodia. He added that, "Incomes of non-formal economists were reduced by 70 to 80 %".
On the 7th of May 2020, SCC-CBE teachers conducted their home visits to our children’s homes. They met many children who stayed at home and played nearby their houses with their friends. However, some children could access their studies through an E-learning program provided by the national government through a specific broadcast on television (TV). Others were able to access their learning via online teaching classes for the medium-rich and rich households. However, most our children live under poor living conditions, and missed their classes whether online teaching or television. Some families are very poor and more children have to support their families with their own income. What has happened to these families? During the COVID-19 pandemic, most parents continued working to earn an income for their family, but in most cases their incomes were less than before. The parents have no time to stay home and take care of their children or fully support their studies through the E-learning program provided by the national government. We might think that children want to learn alone, we are sure that, they don’t. What has happened to those children whose parents leave home to go outside and earn incomes? In these cases, we try to help our parents/caregivers as much as possible to arrange a schedule for their children to continue their lessons at home. The goal is that when the parent/caregivers came back from work they just have to spend a little time checking homework or their children’s tasks. Significantly, some parent/caregivers have taught their children at home as well. Now we would like to portray two of our student’s family’s current situation as follows:
1. Dara, 11 years old, studies in grade 4 at Kolab I, primary school. He also studies English with SCC-CBE School in level 2. Dara was living with his aunt and uncle at Phum 22 village, Sangkat Sras Chak, Khan Daun Penh, Phnom Penh city, slum area when the virus broke out. They supported him going to schools every day like the other children in the community. Dara is an orphaned child who has no mother. His father has married another woman. So, he is forced to live with his uncle and aunt. Now Dara was sent to his homeland at the province for preventing COVID-19 pandemic. He will come back to his community when the pandemic has passed. His caregivers reported that since the Coronavirus outbreak, it has become increasingly difficult to earn an income for supporting their daily lives.
2. Phany, 9 years old, studies in grade 2 at Kolab I, primary school. He also studies English with SCC-CBE School in level 1. Phany is also an orphaned child who was abandoned by his parents when he was a baby. At the moment, he lives with his grandmother, who works as a laundry worker for someone from house to house for fee at PhumToul Sangkae SangkatSras Chak, Khan Daun Penh, Phnom Penh City. His grandma has been working very hard to earn an income for supporting her grandchild’s studies and herself. Indeed, she tries very hard for support her grandchild even though she has a chronic disease (high blood pressures). She still gives her hope to her grandchild. She expressed that since the coronavirus outbreak, this bad situation has caused a deterioration of her living standard. She faces a very hard situation in earning income to support her living.
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Christmas Day! was celebrated on the 25th of December 2019 by SCC-CBE teachers and our children at the SCC-CBE School in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. In the Christmas event, the children received various gifts from our generous supporters. They enjoyed a happy time surrounded by their friends, classmates and teachers eating delicious food and playing various educational games led by their teachers. Our students were able to strengthen the relations with each other. Moreover, they were encouraged and motivated to come to SCC-CBE School and public schools regularly too. We talked about children’s rights to education, their rights and child protection, in order to encourage them to be more self-confident and successful in their studies. It is important that the children themselves know about their rights and the chances they have in Cambodia’s society. In this event, they also learnt about a new culture and traditions, which have flourished in Cambodia after having brought here from western countries. They were able to experience some Christmas spirit and traditions, thus broadening their knowledge of other cultures and their festivities.
Happy Happy Program was conducted on 13th December 2019 by SCC’s staff members including CBE teachers for children at the SCC-CBE School located in Phnom Penh with 63 children of which 29 are were girls participated in this activity. In the program, the children played together, explored their skills and learned from each other. They were also able to build new relationships with one another and strengthen existing ones. During the program, the pupils were very happy together: They learned some new skills unconsciously, interacted with each other, shared knowledge, played educational games and enjoyed refreshments. It was a great opportunity to strengthen their relationships and grow together as a community. Through having fun, our children were encouraged and motivated to study at CBE School and state schools regularly. This activity promoted our SCC-CBE School and informed students and parents about their options and possibilities in the education offered, and encouraged more children to join the SCC-CBE School. Additionally, this program aimed to end stigma and discrimination against vulnerable children.
Mrs. Christine is a former volunteer teacher and a fundraiser of SCC-CBE School from Australia. She has been supporting and saving SCC-CBE School’s life keep opening until now and children’s rights to education in Cambodia. At 8 o’clock on 13th January 2020, she invited her best friends, Nicola, Zoe and Xyavia to visit our SCC-CBE School and all beloved children. She has praised that all teachers and children at SCC-CBE School are doing a great job. Whereas our visitors felt surprised and impressed when they saw SCC’s staff members including teachers and children welcome them very warmly. They told that they have learnt a lot about the real situations of CBE School and children. They appreciate our jobs. They encouraged our children to study for the sake of yourselves, your family and especially for your country.
Mrs. Jane is a volunteer teacher from UK and she teaches our children for two weeks. She felt that the children in her class enjoyed interactive learning. She felt very welcome by both the local teachers and children at school. She found the behaviors of some children very hard to manage but she understands and appreciates of the help that she gave. The children seemed to enjoy interactive play and activities while learning. They enjoyed songs with actions and really enjoyed the creative side of learning through craftwork and coloring. Due to these attention span and age ranges, games should keep in short and with stickers.
Friederike a volunteer teacher from Germany. She teaches our children for three months. She said, “I feel very important to share my English lessons with all SCC-CBE children in Cambodia.” She added that, “I know they will improve their skills a lot.” For me, it is a great experience and the children it is an importance and fun time. Next to class, you connected with many students (from all levels) and it is great to see how they get attached to you.
Regarding teaching children at SCC-CBE School, if due to the language barrier the students do not understand English well, so the teachers try to be patient to talk to the students in English. Not only talking, I have used body language, drawings and pictures from course books for getting my students understand. They sometimes do not understand what I meant. For my opinion, it is important to all that the students get translation from the local teachers. It is necessary for a good lesson; especially for the younger students a local teacher who assist in Khmer language is very important.
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That's great! Our children have been doing lots of beautiful craft work lately. They have gained some of the benefits of craft work. They learnt to develop their motor skills, increase dexterity, improve hand-eye coordination, boost self-esteem, encourage self-expression, help in socializing, promote innovation and creativity, and enhance decision-making skills. They were very happy. This is one of many life skills they needed. in
Their achievements of SCC-CBE Children doing craft work outside SCC-CBE classrooms, Phnom Penh Cambodia
Their achievements of SCC-CBE School children in Phnom Pen, Cambodia doing craft work outside classrooms
In this reporting period, from August to October 2019, SCC-CBE School located in Phnom Penh municipality has been warmly welcomed the 16 English Voluntary Teaching Assistants: They are 7 persons from England, 1 person from Japan, 1 person from Netherlands, 1 person from USA, 1 person from Belgium, 2 people from Ireland, 1 person from Australia, 2 people from Italy and 1 person from Germany. They help us teaching our children and other required work from SCC-CBE School. Most of them are kind, friendly, courteous and adorable to everyone. They shared the lovable quote that “Volunteers do not necessarily have the time; they just have the heart.” That’s why they do love Cambodian children, especially kids at SCC-CBE School.
On the 30th of October 2019, SCC-CBE School located in Phnom Penh warmly welcomed the 2 German visitors. They were kind, friendly, and courteous to our kids, teachers and SCC staff. They are individual sponsors of SCC. They have been supporting our children both spiritual and materials.
Group photo with Mr. Micheal and Regina in SCC-CBE School Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Mr. Micheal and His wife Regina visited SCC-CBE school children in the classroom, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
SCC-CBE School located in Phnom Penh would like very much to express our gratitude and profound thanks to Healthy Fresh Factory (Pure Drinking Water Company) located in Phnom Penh, Cambodia for their generous heart and donated 250 US dollars, 20 liter tank of pure drinking water and 20 cases of pure drinking water to SCC-CBE School, Boengkak slum area in Phnom Penh municipality. We definitely appreciate their valuable support orphans and vulnerable children (OVC). Their donations save SCC-CBE School’s lives and Children’s Rights to Education.
Group photo with private sector & CBE School kids and SCC monk
Education is an investment in the future of children and of nations: Overall, large numbers of girls and boys remain out of school at all levels of education, from early childhood through to adolescence. Most children drop out before reaching secondary school. Girls and boys from disadvantaged groups are struggling to realize their potential as they face difficulties getting to, and staying in school.
(Source: https://www.unicef.org/cambodia/education
SCC-CBE Schools contribute to solve the above mentioned issues, so our project wouldn’t be possible without our international donors and volunteers who make up our network so thank you for all your continued support. Although SCC reached their Global Giving funding target of $10,000, this amount of funding has been spent based on weekly work plan, monthly work plan and annual work plan have been made by SCC-CBE School. Therefore, SCC still continues to do fundraising for supporting children and other unavoidable expenses such as school building rental, electricity, water and school materials for teaching and learning both for children and teachers.
Thanks very much for your do kindly to support poor and vulnerable children in Cambodia!!!
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