All too often when I was growing up school seemed like such a drudge. With most of my friends feeling the same way, that only reinforced my attitude. Why did I view education that way? I’m really not sure. Perhaps a partial explanation is that when I grew up education was a “given.” Always there. Always mandatory. Always free. Books free. No uniforms required (except for those Catholic kids 😀). Free transportation provided if needed. Always expected to be in attendance. Punishment if truant.
What an eye-opener it was when I got to Cambodia. There, “free” education is not free at all. The required uniforms are not free. Books are not free. Supplies are not free. Transportation to school is not free. Attendance is loosely monitored. The cost of “free school” is overwhelming for many village families.
Moreover, in some cases, the kids must come up with “something extra” to encourage the teachers to give them a more thorough education. Finally, to top-off all that, this is for a mere four hours of government provided education. Only a half day. That’s it.
The pathway out of poverty – EDUCATION –
can be a challenge to find
. . . and in many cases it’s only a faint trail
I know attention spans are short these days. All my advisors tell me that video messages are effective only if they are one minute or less. Today, with this Voices from the Field, I’m gonna break those rules. And I’m hoping you’ll indulge me with just under five minutes of your time to watch this compelling video. In it you will see the challenges faced by a group of kids attending the Kampong Tralach Green School (one of our many wonderful NGO partners providing education for the “other” half day) and the unwavering commitment these kids have to getting an education.
Take a look at what some kids will endure
to get an education
I hope you get the message here.
What you see above is a BIG thank you to YOU — and the
generous donors that make our work possible.
It’s the voices of more than 457 kids
arriving every day at the Green School
for their life-changing education, all saying:
Thank You
We’re really proud to partner with Vicheany and the wonderful team at the Green School — all working diligently to provide an essential education for the kids from nearby and not so nearby villages.
I’ll close by noting that the Green School is but one of the carefully vetted NGO partners we currently work with to provide education to marginalized Cambodian kids. If you’re interested in knowing about the work of our more than 25 other partners in that regard, you can click here.
At the SE Asia Foundation we do not simply “help” people
We Help People Help Themselves
That is our focus
That is our commitment
That is where our actions show up
Please help us keep doing that with a tax-deductible
donation. Just click the button below
