No government school uniform = No school attendance
THAT’S THE RULE IN CAMBODIA
More families unable to provide the all important uniform this year.
Bright class rooms thanks to Solar Battery support.
Lai Hun recovering well now.
2019 Beginning school class from No 7 school
Social distancing this year will make pics like this impossible.
MANDATORY GOVERNMENT SCHOOL UNIFORMS Christmas gift?
Would you consider giving a gift of uniforms for Christmas to our keen youngsters? Maybe encouraging your children or grandchildren to assist our village kids here to attend school?
$27USD provides 2 uniform sets, undies, sneakers, socks and a mosquito net.
Any amounts add to our kitty!
703 students received uniforms last year thanks to all you kind donors.
This year we will have to do at least 4 distribution sessions to comply with safe distancing.
PLEASE HELP THESE KIDS IF YOU CAN.
Our teachers are compiling lists of needy students and it’s looking like a tsunami wave of needy kids compared to the last few years. We may have to drop the sneakers, socks and undies to manage to help more students back to school. Mosquito nets protect from Malaria and Dengue, so it's essential we still include those.
There are always many poor families unable to send their kids to school due to the cost of a uniform, but this year with no tourism employment in Siem Reap due to COVID-19 the numbers are blowing out substantially. Our teachers live in these villages and know exactly who skips government school and who attends every day, so identify the most deserving students for us. I’ve seen it first hand myself. One year a mum came to me with her daughter and obviously wanted a uniform for her. I went to our teacher from that village and she told me the girls brothers were getting uniforms because they attend government school and the girl doesn’t. She goes to the market every day with her mother, and if she got a uniform would most likely sell it! We must be sure to help the kids who really want an education, and thankfully our teachers are close to their fellow villagers.
How to keep them distanced will be challenging this year.
2019 They are all so happy showing off their new sparklig uniforms
A reminder of some of the important benefits of school attendance.
The obvious education benefits which improve employment if they can attend even some schooling years.
Girls attending school tend to hold off marrying until after graduation - ensuring their bodies are closer to maturing with less chance of Immature Childbirth Deaths.
Boys really benefit from education – they have eager brains but without education they simply mind cows, sitting under a tree every day watching to see no cows or bullocks get lost. They are as keen and as capable of learning as any other nations children
Educated girls and boys tend to marry later and have less children ensuring their offspring are more likely to achieve improved diet, a full education and greatly improved future employment or start up small businesses.
Parents are becoming a little more aware of the changing life in Cambodia and the risky life of relying on good growing weather for their crops to feed their families.
Siem Reap is a ghost town now with no tourists. Previous employees used to help feed their village families and support siblings with uniforms so they would be employable in the future too. Now unemployed, they can't help.
PLEASE HELP US TO KEEP AS MANY KIDS AT SCHOOL AS POSSIBLE Once donated could you please send your PayPal receipt to us at admin@odaopportunitiescambodia.org so we can tally how many kids we can support day by day, and place the orders for the uniforms.
Any amounts help more kids!
Leng is always aware that ODA’s success it is entirely due to the support from kind people like yourselves - wishing to support his dream of helping kids to improved futures through education.
Last year the new Local District Governor and his assistant heard of ODA’s fundraising to help kids to attend government school, and came along to see for themselves how a small organisation like ODA could help over 700 kids to start or remain at school. We explained it was solely through the very kind help of people who had visited ODA and seen how funds go directly where they are needed. The District Governor asked us to send his and the Commune and Village Chiefs very grateful thanks to you all.
6 Solar Batteries for No 5 School
This school supports Computer classes so needs six batteries
4 batteries each for Schools no's 1 and 2
Kindergarten and English classes for these two schools, so only four each needed.
SOLAR BATTERY SUCCESS THANKS TO OUR DONORS
Akun Tom Tom - Thanks Big Big
Leng was able to replace the batteries at all three schools over the last month thanks to all our very kind donors support. It’s Cambodian winter and getting dark earlier and earlier now.
Most homes are one thatch room with a small oil light so everyone loves the bright cheery classrooms and the villagers love the external lights saying they are happy and feel safe to walk past as the lights scare the troublesome ghosts away.
Lights and fans thanks to the new Solar Batteries
Teachers and the kids are all so happy to get back into a school routine again and more kids are continuing to return each night, even though they are helping to work the fields around their studies.
With current numbers we are able to have students attend every second night which maintains social distancing guidelines, and still works satisfactorily through the curriculum. Masks are still worn and hand sanitising plus regular cleaning continues to be practiced.
Our teachers say there is such a happy atmosphere in the schools now and they are loving being back with their students.
LAI HUN ON THE ROAD TO RECOVERY. Her sunny smile has returned again and at last Lai Hun is able to do a little walking around with the aid of a walking frame. She’s heartly sick of sitting all day, but seems like she is a magnet and has always a group of all ages surrounding her.
Her temporary bedroom downstairs is the hang out room now, and they’ll all miss it once she is able to climb the stairs to the girls bedrooms again.
Girls catch up time. All the little tot's love congregating around.
With the huge numbers and crazy motor bike drivers there is a very high accident rate in town, and so It’s a miracle we have not had more than two accidents over the years with our resident students.
The road to Build Bright University is quite narrow with many big pot holes and at class commencement and finish times it’s an absolute nightmare of drivers all running late, and dodging the huge holes.
Please see if you can help us with the increased number of students needing uniforms to continue their schooling. Any amount at all helps us keep more kids within the education system.