Children’s educational situation:
Most of the poor target students of SCC-CBE enrolled to study in either public school or SCC-CBE school even though the Covid-19 affects their livelihood. In the period of all schools in Cambodia were closed because of the Covid-19 outbreak, SCC-CBE teachers were still strengthening their target students’ capacity through online training and also pushing them to pay more attention to public school online training programs to be sure their education is still in progress. Also, teachers conducted the home visit activities in order to monitor/follow up health, livelihood, and the education of their students and encourage parents/guardians to push their children to focus on their education with both the public schools and SCC-CBE School. As the result, more than 80% of target children between the ages range of 6 to14 years old were enrolled for the new school academic year 2022-2023 to start in January 2022 with public schools, while 20% of equal and under 5-year-olds are not allowed because of unvaccinated. In this regard, the government has mobilized all 5-year-olds to be vaccinated so that all children will be allowed to attend school. In the meantime, SCC in alignment with the announcement of the government has been re-opened its CBE school in grades 1 and 2 in Phnom Penh with 94 students included 47 females. In short, working closely with parents/guardians through the home visit, online training during school close, and encouraging is enable target students to continue their education for their better future.
Living conditions of children and their families
The poor people including SCC target children’s families in Cambodia have been facing livelihood problems during the Covid-19 outbreak and lockdown. Starting from January 2020 when the Covid-19 started pandemic in Cambodia, the government closed education institutions, garment factories, entertainment venues, restriction, and a curfew, affected the life of the people, especially food shortage for the poor families while they could not earn income as normal due to unemployment, lockdown, and food price increased. SCC in participation with the government to respond to the emergency needs of our target poor families by using the money, donated by the generous sponsors to support the basic need of the poor families in our target area of Phnom Penh and Siem Reap province. Obviously, 50 poorest families in the slum area of Phnom Penh were provided food and material support on 16th December 2021 at SCC-CBE School. Each family received a kit that included 40 kilograms of rice, 6 bottles of soy sauce, 1 liter of alcohol and material, 6 soaps for washing hands, and 1 box of facial masks (50 masks). Meanwhile, 20 poor families most in need in Siem Reap province were provided nutrition and Covid-19 material support on 6th January 2022, the kits included 50 Kg, 1box of face masks, and 0.5 liters of alcohol at SCC-CBE Christine school. Nutrition and material support are a very significant contribution to their daily life since they would have time and space to make more income after this difficult situation.
The situation of COVID-19 in Cambodia:
COVID-19 pandemic remains a hot issue in Cambodia. As of the first week of January 2022, 195 Omicron cases have been detected, of which 4 were local community transmission. Meanwhile, the government decided to administer the second booster 4th dose for designated target groups. Though the Royal Government has opened up the country for its people to do small, medium, and large businesses, three prevention of covid-19 included hygiene, social distancing, and mask-wearing are adhered to by the public. Meanwhile, both public and private schools have been operating since January 2022, but must strictly follow the guidelines of the Ministry of Health. At the same time, SCC-CBE has been opened the classed for children who are studying at level 3; on the other hand, children who are at level 2 and level 1, come to school getting lessons and assignments to do at home. At this time, some students still have been receiving lessons through online learning. Generally, Omicron cases are the new concern of Cambodians.
COVID-19 pandemic still continues globally, especially in Cambodia, there were new infected cases have been happening every day in the communities; it was really difficult and horror-struck. It has caused major obstacles related to people's daily lives.It’s a challenging economic crisis in the whole country. Separately, education was completely suspended in accordance with guidelines of the Ministry of Health in purpose to halt and prevent the spread of infectious diseases. All schools in Cambodia were suspended and no students were allowed to go to schools. However, the schools are still open and teaching children through online learning under guidelines of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (MoEYS). This academic year, which was open for a month or two, was closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, our teachers have still done some teaching and learning activities such as there were three or four students are allowed to come to school for forty five minutes ‘teachers told’. They continuedthat some students have an ability to learn via online learning with their smartphone, some students have just received homework for doing it at home separately and send it their teachers for correction, some students have been helped and taught directly by SCC-CBE teachers at their home. In addition, our teachers always pay a high attention to remind the students to be careful their health, especially wash hands frequently, sprayingdisinfection alcohol or gel, and wear a face mask properly when going out and keeping space between yourselves and others to prevent infectious diseases. Moreover, SCC’s teachers motivated the parents/guardians of students when have free time should remind their children to read the books or do teachers’ homework. Besides childrenstudy at school, parents is the second teacher and the first teachers of their children’s studies at home.
Finding:
SCC-Children’s Basic Education School teachers found some outcomes including:
· Our children still have the opportunity to review important lessons such as Khmer language and English from levels 1-3. This learning activity has helped the children to be brave to continue their learning.
· Children are confident in their work, such as drawing and speaking, thanks to the encouragement of their parents and guardians, especially the teachers of SCC.
· The teachers found that SCC-CBE’s children have done their homework carefully.
· Parents and guardians have participated in encouraging their children to study hard with their teachers and self-study at home.
· The study curriculum encourages children to remain satisfied with their learning, keeping these children from dropping out of school during the outbreak of COVID-19.
· In this reporting period, there were more than 94 families of vulnerable children received emergency food assistance from SCC during the outbreak of COVID-19.
· Standard of living of our children’s parents and caretakers are decreasing in income are due to COVID-19 pandemic; they did not sell the products or sold less than before; some went to work but did not get the full salary (less than 50%), while prices went up. ‘SCC-CBE teachers’
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Improved knowledge of parent and children in preventing COVID-19
While COVID-19 pandemic has reduced new infections in Cambodia, SCC-CBE School has only been reopened from January 18th to 27th February 2021. In this reporting period from March to May 2021, SCC-CBE teachers have come to work at the school normally, but no any classes were allowed to open for teaching and learning. In March 2021, some children who live nearby the school could come to school to get lessons and homework from their teachers in order to practice at their home respectively. Note that both teachers and their students really adhered to the guidelines of Ministry of Health in Cambodia to prevent infection and to slow transmission of
COVID-19 in the community. So, SCC staff members including SCC-CBE teachers have abided by three prevention measures as follows:
Three defenses:
1. Wear a mask in public.
2. Wash your hands with soap, alcohol or gel.
3. Maintain a social and individual safety gap of one and a half meters or more.
Three do not:
1. Do not enter a closed, ventilated area.
2. Do not enter crowded places.
3. Do not touch each other.
In April, during lockdown of the whole country, this incident affected the lives of many students; especially their parent/caregivers could not go out to earn a living, this hard situation made their lives fall into deep poverty.
SCC-CBE teachers teaching children via online during Covid-19 and made list for following up parent of children
Students were not allowed to attend the school for a while: Despite facing a bad crisis situation and students could not attend the schools; however SCC-CBE teachers have not given up their duties. They have been working with parent/caregivers through social media such as making phone calls, Messenger, or Telegram on three main tasks as follows:
1- Following up the health issue of students and their parent/guardians during COVID-19 pandemic in the community.
2- Consulting with parent on an equal living. It means parent should equally know the income and expenses during this hardsituation.
Poor family member received counseling during Covid-19 from SCC-CBE teacher
3- Encouraging parents to pay attention, help teach and educate their children during this difficult time.
Please be confirmed that the three main tasks which were above-mentioned, SCC-CBE teachers have been doing on a regular basis because COVID-19 pandemic in the community still have new infection in Cambodia in this reporting period
Poor family children's received welfares support during Covid-19 from SCC Project
Donated rice to vulnerable children since February and March 2021
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Reduced hunger by providing nutritional support during COVID-19 pandemic: SCC-CBE School provided nutritional support such as 15 kilograms of rice and 10 canned fish to the 56 poorest of the poor SCC-CBE children’s families in Boengkak Slum Area, Phnom Penh city. This charitable donation donated by the partner organization PROtectKIDS Kambodscha and generous people through GlobalGiving, always generously donates rice and other eatable food to reduce the burden of the poorest of the poor people who are in need of food during COVID-19 pandemic in the target areas of SCC-CBE School.Not only that, PROtectKIDS Kambodscha organization has been providing relief aid to assist the poorest people and SCC-CBE children’s families and families who are very difficult to earn income for their living during COVID-19 pandemic. This restriction has a strongly significant impact on earning income of them for living. Some families were very poor; they must force their young children to go on the street to begging or some families send their children to beg. Currently, there were no any tourists visiting Cambodia; they have to rely on the generosity and kindness of the local people to support each other. As the Khmer saying “the rich help the poor”. Their struggle to live during the hard situation, many poor and hungry people in Cambodia calling for help, because of our budget limited we are able to only help the SCC-CBE target group, as for others not impossible to help generally. Noticeably the efforts to do these activities always encounter some problems, some people were happy to cooperate with our organization, but some also conflicted because they did not get those benefits. However, we are confident that the good deeds we have done will be seen by others and help spread the truth that together we can do it.
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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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