Child-Friendly Schools Documentary Series: Rising Voices

CAMBODIA: Hope on the Mekong

In the northern province of Stung Treng, close to the Lao border, child-friendly schools allow a country to rebuild its ravaged education system after the Khmer Rouge regime. These schools actively seek out children who have dropped out of school and give them a chance at education. They also cultivate young leaders who can serve as role models in their community. Chea Bora is nine years old, the middle child in a family of six.

He began first grade side by side with his six-year-old sister, Chea Sok Lin. To make ends meet, his mother sets off to do laundry each day, taking her four-year-old daughter along with her. She was forced to send Chea Bora several hours away because she had too many mouths to feed. Chea Bora got a chance at a new beginning when he rejoined his family and was enrolled in school, thanks to the efforts of Ms. Sam Ang and the Community Support Committee. Their role is to go from house to house in the community to raise awareness among poor rural families of the importance of education. In the same school we find Long Kan Buttum, a 12-year-old girl who serves as a leader in the School Committee. She is a role model, keenly aware of what her education means to her. She tells us how dramatically her school has changed since the child-friendly schools model was introduced, and shows us how one and the same school can both cultivate young female role models and serve as a foundation to build productive lives for all children.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• girls education
• child friendly schools

[SithSereyPheap1]

There's an Einstein in every kid,they have boundless potential.