Welcome to Opportunity Cambodia

And the exciting news that we have recently completed our purpose built children's education centre.

Cambodia is one of the poorest and least developed countries in Asia. Disease, malnutrition and mortality rates are high and educational achievement lags far behind international measures for the developing world. It is generally agreed that poverty is the biggest obstacle to education of children and yet education is the best way to fight poverty.

Inspired by the global call to action 'To Make Poverty History' Opportunity Cambodia was set up to provide opportunity through education and training for poor and vulnerable children in rural Cambodia, so that they can become healthy, self-empowered and self sustaining members of their society. Our first children's education centre was opened in a rented village house at the beginning of 2009. It has been very successful in improving the health of the children and assisting them to achieve excellent results at school. We therefore decided to buy a large block of land in the village and have just completed a purpose built centre which enables us to assist more children.

Cambodia has been at peace for little more than 10 years. Decades of war and destruction resulted in the elimination of almost the entire middle class, and there is a great need to educate a new generation. Over 80% of the population live in poverty in rural and remote areas which are poorly served in terms of infrastructure, schools and teachers. Many children do not attend school because they are required to work in the fields, care for younger siblings, live too far from a school, or simply because there is no money to pay for books, uniforms and informal school fees. As an example some of the children at our centre come from a village which has no electricity, no sanitation, no clean drinking water, little food, no health centre and no school. Most of the inhabitants are illiterate and have no regular employment.

We believe a brighter future for Cambodia lies with its children. What they need is the opportunity to develop their potential.