Education for 300 Urban Poor Children

The Summary of Sunshine Cambodia organization

 SCO started in 2000, a local organization dedicated to promote about the Child Rights. We engage and collaborate closely with some relevant institutions of the Royal Government of Cambodia, education officials, teachers, local authorities and other relevant duty bearers to get involved in implementing the programs to assist, support and respond to the children in need. We operate our works in some urban poor communities of Phnom Penh City and the target Province. The priority areas of the Child Rights that we are committed to working together to promote both knowledge and implementation, including: Education, Protection, Participation and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH). We also work to deal with some cross-cutting issues that often occur in the communities. Join together with Sunshine Cambodia Organization for the quality of lives of the girls and boys in Cambodia. Currently, we have two programs, the Child and Family Development Program (CFDP) and School Development Program (SDP).

 CFDP has been working with 350 children in need in 11 urban-poor villages in Khan/district Meanchey and Posenchey in Phnom Penh city– in four Sangkats/communes so-called Phum Phneat, Steung Meanchey, Samaky, and Tropaing Anhchanh – recognize the value of education and have the opportunity to access quality education in both public and private schools to grow strong and become self-reliant. They have the self-confidence and the courage to advocate with other people for their basic rights, to participate in any learning group. They become leaders who lead in club activities, group discussions, debates, events, and projects. They have a specific dream and plan for their future, while they equip themselves for their better career option, for making their dreams come true. They can make the best life choices possible that match their potential and enjoy their basic rights by attending school regularly and have a good school result. They become role models, future leaders, and key actors for improving their life, family, and community.

 SDP has been working directly with three target primary schools in need in two districts, Ba Phnum and Preah Sdach Districts of Prey Veng Province. The priority areas that program is trying to address and promote incl child education development, child health care and child protection include the school environment improvement which are the needs of the children and schools. Both direct and indirect direct beneficiaries including 501 children, 258 girls and 243 boys, 21 teachers include school principals and education officials 3 primary principals and 18 teachers and education officials, 26 local authorities include church leaders, 400 families with 2000 family members will benefit from the program both directly and indirectly. The target primary school at Ba Phnum district located at Toulbrasat Village in Theay Commune and another two primary schools located at Kamrieng and Kdampuk Villages in Senareach Odum Commune.

 Story of change from the Child and Family Development Program:

 Lyta studies in grade 12 at Arun Vatey secondary school. She lives with her mother in Tropeang Anchagn (TA). Her mother, a widow, is a factory worker. Lyta is a quiet girl, and very shy. However, we are proud to see the change in her as we have worked with her from time to time. “I used to be a lazy girl before. I did not like doing housework and studying at home. But now I like my study. I always focus on my study and I really want to go to school. During the crisis of Covid-19, I followed up on my lessons from my teachers according to their instruction. I also seek my lessons by myself. I do housework more often," Lyta said.

 This, her changes, makes her mother very happy. Lyta’s mother wants her to have a good job in the future. “I am so happy to see my daughter study hard and study at home; especially, she helps me to do housework. I would like to give thanks to Sunshine Cambodia Organization and all sponsors who support my family. I hope that our living conditions and family will improve.” Her mother expressed.

 Lyta not only has changed her attitude regarding study as she mentioned, but she also becomes a good friend to her classmates. She usually attends her group study with other friends. She sometimes encourages her classmates to study hard and do not play much. Lyta also helps her friends when they need help.

 Story of Change from School Development Program

Chanheng was born in 18^th October, 2010 in Svay Kap village, Theay commune at Baphom district. Now she is 11 years old and is at grade 6^th of Hun Sen Toul Brasat primary school. Chanheng currently lives with her mother only because her parents got divorce a long time ago. Chanheng has 3 siblings and she is the second child in the family. Her family lives in a small house and due to the difficulty of living condition her mother moved to work at Phnom Penh as factory worker to support the whole family living and children’s study, so her mother left children with old grandmother at homeland.

Chanheng shared some challenges and difficulties of her life and study. Her family is so poor, so she more often could not live together with her mother at homeland. It means that her mother mostly moved to work at Phnom Penh to support the whole family and she just lives with her old grandmother that’s why she lacks of warmness and encouragement from the family. Sometime her family could not provide her enough food to eat as other children in the community, especially during COVID pandemic her family living condition was more difficult than last time. For her study she also encountered some challenges with traveling to school because her house is far away from the school and every day, she spends much time via walking to school. Along way to her school there is a big canal and it is so quit when she walked to school every time. Mostly she felt unsafe by walking along way to school as she is a small girl. She said sadly that she did not have a bicycle for riding to school and for study materials such as uniforms, bag, books and pens, etc. she sometime did not have enough for her academic year. All of these challenges, sometime she would like to drop out of school.

Fortunately, in July, 2021 she was selected into school development program of Sunshine Cambodia organization by school principal and local authorities due to living difficulty. This program provided her hygiene materials such as water filter, masks, soaps; alcohol and poster of good hygiene habits and she got food packages 2 times such as rice, noodles, fish sauce, soy sauce and sugar. All of these supporting was a good assistance to help her study processing, hygiene practice at home and school and livelihood for a while. Program Team also encouraged her to take care of and pay attention to her study both at school and home, especially personal hygiene although she comes from the poor family then the team shared her about the importance of education and health. The team also talked with her about next year plan from 2022 Program will support her more as well as bicycle, uniforms and study materials that’s why from all of these support and encouragement from the team it really provides her hope and motivation to keep continuing her study in order to achieve her future dream as a doctor. She said smiling.

• Pictures_Lita__Chanheng.docx (DOCX)

Project Summary

Sunshine Cambodia Organization (SCO) works in five urban poor communities in Phnom Penh. SC’s project supports 350 poor children and youth, especially girls, to have self-confidence, to enjoy and to exercise their rights, to access education, to receive knowledge and skills. They are also prevented and protected from any kind of abuse, violence, trafficking, and exploitation. Moreover, through this project children and youth are equipped to be active actors and leaders for their families and community.

At the same time, SC’s project works with their parents for promoting and improving their full responsibilities for their family living conditions and their children’s studies. Apart from this, the project has engaged the participation of the legal duty bearers such as teachers, local authorities, and the Community Committee of Women and Children (CCWC) to protect and prevent children from any kind of abuse and harm.

We are encouraged to many boys, girls, youth and their families have shown they are improving. Actually, many of them have got knowledge and skills. Some are studying at university and some have jobs. Through our project, we also see some families manage to run a small business and have jobs, while some of them bought some necessary stuff for their family’s needs. Additionally, they also show that they care for their children regarding study and health.

I want to be a doctor in the future

“Vichika is a tidy and a good girl who always practices a good hygiene. She wears a nice dress.”

Sreypich, SCO’s staff, said.

Vichika is 11 years old and she studies in grade 5. She has a brother. Her father, Makara, is a disabled man, who opens a small shop to repair TV and electronic accessories and to sell electronic items.

She wants to be a doctor. She becomes a good student and pays close attention to her studies. After class, she always spends time doing homework, which results in a good grade. She gets good results both in Khmer and English classes. She always commits to learning. “Even though my parents cannot afford me to study, I still keep learning. I want to be a doctor in the future,” she said. Vichika always takes her lessons (textbooks) with her to read even she goes to the children’s club and what she learned from the club she shared with her parents and friends. “When she has free time or after she has done her homework, she usually takes care of her brother and plays with him; she helps me doing housework as well.” Said her mother, Mrs. Nary.Her father follows up on her study regularly. He takes a photo of her assignments/homework and school’s results every month. He, then, sends it to SCO’s staff. He has a good relationship with teachers at school as well as with SCO’s staff.

• Photos.docx (DOCX)