SCHOOLS REOPENING THIS WEEK,
FUNDING PLEA FOR MORE SOLAR BATTERIES,
WONDERFUL GIFT FROM THE HEART,
FEEDING HUNGRY TUMMIES.
Wow School’s In!
10th Oct is the Magic Day for Cambodian kids So exciting after so long, but not without challenges as usual.
The new normal Fitting masks
Temperatures and distancing in place Masks to be worn in and around schools
Can you help with funding for Solar Batteries?
No 1 and No 2 schools which were built in 2017, batteries are now dead – 4 batteries @ $250 USD each for both schools. So $2200 inc Vat for the two schools.
No 5 school which runs English and computer classes needs 6 batteries so
$250 USD x 6 = $1500 plus Vat $150, so $1,650 for this school.
Any amounts add to the pool to get us there!
Kindergartens & English schools Four batteries store power from these panels at No 1 and No 2 ODA schools English & IT schools Six batteries store power from these panels at No 5 school for English and IT
Back in January you all helped get 2 of our schools fitted out, and now we have 3 more schools sets to replace so we can run our classes. They power for 3 years, but finding the funds up front is always a challenge, especially now with no visitors to our student art gallery. Government electricity is available in these 3 villages but as well as being unreliable, it is also far more expensive than using solar power. IF YOU COULD HELP US IT WOULD BE WONDERFUL. Any amounts assist us to get up and running again – our teachers and students are just very grateful for help to get back to learning again.
SCHOOLS OPENING COVID STYLE
Huge challenge to cut our big classes of 60+ down to COVID distancing size.
So much to plan and organise in such a short time. Class sizes are to be cut to comply with the distancing restrictions. Students will be rostered and attend 2 days a week to give them all some class time depending on returning numbers in these early days. This means content will be far less over time than our usual planning, however it’s great to be operational again. Our schools manager Piet Po will try to run ‘on line’ classes at the same time to see if it is possible, but as it’s such a new technique for them all, we have to see if it is possible to teach in schools, plus post online and manage adequately in the time available.
Teachers testing out the masks and collecting for their students along with hand sanitiser and cleaning materials. Masks must be worn so Leng has found suitable washable ones and ordered 1000 for $780, as we know poverty is critical now and families will not be able to afford them, we are also always mindful of not creating more rubbish, so felt it was well worth the investment on both counts. We wouldn’t like to think kids couldn’t attend due to not having the money for a mask. Desks, wells, buckets, light switches, doors etc will have to be cleaned in line with government standards along with a zillion bits and pieces! It’s happening all over the world, but largely funded by governments which isn’t possible in 3rd world countries.
HAPPY TUMMY TIME THANKS TO A LONG TERM ODA SUPPORTER.
Leng and his helpers Chanda, Lai Hun and Vet bring the rice to the families Reading our last newsletter on our Schools Manager Piet Po’s, hard but dedicated life to obtain his full education, one of our lovely regular supporters sent an extra sum of money to Leng. She said she felt we would have fixed costs to keep ODA running and supporting our teaching staff etc and realising how tough life was anyway, even before COVID for villagers, she wanted Leng to help where he saw great need. Leng immediately said “Bags of rice” for families near ODA who were all previously employed in and around tourism, including the children temple beggars who’s lovely cheeky faces and chatty disposition attract money and help feed their families normally. They all have no income now and living on small plots of land, so have no space to grow rice themselves. Leng contacted the Village Chief who identified the most needy and he has begun giving the bags out. He said many had tears in their eyes at our kind lady’s gift to them. He’s giving them out himself to make sure they go to the families who are the most desperate. That takes longer, but it’s a wise policy here.
We are constantly touched by so many wonderful people who help even in a small way every month, you are all valued so much by us. Leng is a dedicated man, but could achieve little without your constant support for his young village people. Every one of you who support our students education are helping these poor youngsters to look forward to an improved life. Sadly COVID has currently wiped out the tourist industry, but it will return, along with the high employment for those with English and Computer skills. We just need to somehow keep operating as best we can, skilling these young people until we all come out of this COVID Fog our world is currently in, and jobs open up again.
In closing if you could help even just a little towards our solar batteries, our subsistence school communities would be ever so grateful.
Wherever you are please take great care to remain safe and well in these difficult times.