The Next Stage

Our experience with Oka Tmay has shown us that there is a real need for this kind of facility to enable poor children in rural areas to be educated. It has also shown us that we have an effective model and that the children quickly respond to the opportunity they are given.

During 2011 we are building a new and larger children's education centre on land we have acquired in the village. We expect building to be completed by November and we will then be able to accommodate 30 children. The building includes dormitories, classrooms and a library, and its design allows for expansion if more funds become available in the future. We have enough land to enable the children to grow vegetables and fruit trees and to raise chickens. There is also room for a volley ball court – a much needed facility in the village.

Our priority is to build and equip the new education centre. However we believe it is very important to involve the local community in our centre, and to work with them to address some of their other education related issues. Prostitution and sex trafficking are problems in Cambodia and uneducated girls from poor rural families, who go to towns and cities to try to earn a living, are at risk. To help address the dire need for uneducated young women in the area to gain some income producing skills we plan to provide space for a small sewing training centre which the community has requested.

We also plan to commence an education support program to assist girls from poor families to go on to secondary school, by assisting them with bicycles, food, school materials and uniforms, and supplementary teaching. We believe this is very important as comparatively few girls in our commune go on to secondary education due to the cost to families.

To furnish and equip our new centre and our sewing training school we need to raise a further $USD15,000.