Education for 300 Urban Poor Children

Project Summary

Sunshine Cambodia’s project has supported girls and boys in five poor urban communities in Phnom Penh by accessing them to both public and private schools. Through SC’s project they are equipped and educated for their better future job options and become main actors for improving their family living condition. Through SC’s project, girls and boys have the opportunity to build their self-confidence and exercise their rights fully.

Moreover, they were prevented and protected from abuse, violence, trafficking, and exploitation through the participation of the legal and moral duty bearers such as teachers, local authorities, including the community committee of women and children (CCWC) as well as their parents. Actually, the project had engaged them in various activities to enhance their abilities and roles to serve their community and its people.

Besides, the project also endeavours to increase the responsibilities of parents toward their living conditions, health, and their children’s studies. Remarkably, through home visits and the interview with them, we learnt that some family businesses are running well, while many SCO’s parents spend their quality time with their children to follow up and check their studies mostly.

Sreynich’s parents has started a small business

Sokhom, 30, was a construction worker before; his wife, Samnang, was a factory worker. They have three children and live in Tropang Anhchanh village. Sadly, Sokhom’s right leg feels pain. He just stayed home to take care of his children. He did not work for about two years, while his wife was the one who responded to their family. “Our income is lower than before while we need to spend various things such as food, medicine for my sickness, utility payment, children’s study, and dept. We have quarrels sometimes because we are worried about our daily living,” said Sokhom. Worse than that, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the factory that his wife worked with was closed. She had no job then. These caused their family to face more difficulty.

Sokhom’s family was accepted into SC’s program in 2019. Since then, we have worked closely with his family and his children. SC’s supports his family for improving their living condition and his daughter’s study. Sreynich, his daughter, got the school fee for studying English, study materials, and uniform. His family also got the start-up capital to run a new business after the factory, where his wife worked, was closed.

When his wife stopped working due to the factory was closed, she started selling Cambodian noodles at the nearby market in their village. She, then, was invited to a training on how to run a small business successfully facilitated by SC in September 2020. After the training, Sokhom’s family received the start-up capital from SC for starting a new business. Sokhom also started another business. He sells meat paste, dry fish, and salty crap in their village, while his wife still sells Cambodian noodles in the market. Now they both earn income. “After I got the start-up capital from SC, I started my new business. Now I am glad that I can earn income as same as my wife through our business. I sell meat paste, dry fish, and salty crap. My small business helps me to improve my family’s income so that I can spend on our daily food, utilities, debt, and my child’s study. Through my wife’s selling and mine, now we earn at least 25 $ per day; and some days, we earn about 35 $. I am happy that I can earn more income,” said Sokhom.

Sreynich, his daughter, also expressed her gladness when her parents reduce the quarrel with each other at home. “I am happy that my father does not quarrel with my mother as before. They are selling now…I like to join the children's club and play with my friends here,” Sreynich said. His wife is also happy that Sokhom can run a small business, which increases their income. “I am happy that my husband can earn income through his selling every day. We have better income now; we do not quarrel as much as before,” said his wife during our visit to their family. Sokhom expressed that, “I would like to express thanks to Sunshine Cambodia and all staff for their advice, encouragement, and the start-up capital to my family. These had improved our daily income and family living conditions. I also would like to give thanks to SC’s donors, partners and friends who always help my family and the other poor-families in the community.