Projects

Oka Tmay

In the Khmer language Oka Tmay means 'new opportunity'. This is the name of the first children's education facilitation centre that we have established. It is housed in a large traditional village house in a rural commune about 80km south of Siem Reap City.

At Oka Tmay 14 children – 7 boys and 7 girls - receive the essentials necessary to provide a firm foundation for learning – shelter, nutritious food, health care services, clothing, love and support. When the centre opened at the beginning of 2009 the children were aged between 8 and 12 years, and were selected because they are keen to learn and are otherwise unable to receive an education. We assist the children to go home on weekends and holidays, and families visit the children at the centre. We encourage the families to have an involvement in the life of the centre.

Due to the acute shortage of teachers in Cambodia children can attend the government schools for half of the day. The children at the centre attend the local school and we provide additional teaching and activities for the rest of the day. Our objective is for the children not only to learn, but to have the opportunity to develop their interests and talents in physical, creative and cultural pursuits as well as just to have fun and enjoy life. We monitor the progress of each child. Already the children are healthier, they have a new energy and are doing wonderfully well at school – 12 of them now in the top group in their classes.

We employ a field supervisor for the Centre, 2 carers, and one teacher.

Opportunity Cambodia's commitment to these children is to support them through their education, and to ensure that they have appropriate training to enable them to earn their own living.