By Vicheka Chourp | Country Manager
2022 is the first year since the pandemic that all programmes are run in-person again. The legacy of Covid means our Education Programme is more vital than ever. Schools in Cambodia were closed for 250 days during 2020-21. The Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport (MoeYS) recently revealed alarming findings about the loss of learning experienced by Cambodian students during the pandemic [UNICEF - April 2022]. Over 6,000 students in 230 state schools were assessed across Cambodia, findings show that students who failed to demonstrate basic proficiency increased from 34% (2016) to 45% (2022) in Khmer language and from 49% (2016) to 74% (2022) in Maths.
The pandemic had wider impacts; we found that families we support were facing unemployment or drastically reduced salaries and left living hand to mouth. Also, 83% of families lost between 40-100% of their income. These economic pressures resulted in some students disengaging from their studies to find work or help with household responsibilities. However, due to the dedication of our Education Team who worked tirelessly to overcome challenges of isolation, lack of technology and economic pressures that families faced; ISF’s dropout rate was over 50% LOWER than the national average - showing testament to our teams’ determined efforts to keep children learning!
The academic year started in January and 60 new catch-up students, aged between eight- and twelve-years-old, joined our Catch-up Education Programme, studying two grades in one year to catch-up to the education they have missed. 67% of them survive on less than $2.50 a day and had never stepped foot in a classroom before.
This year, a total of 140 students are catching up to the education they have missed, 488 students have been integrated in the state school system, 30 students are supported in higher education and 25 are receiving employment support. Unfortunately, we couldn’t prevent five of our students from dropping out of school due to poverty and domestic expectations. Our dedicated team of social workers are doing everything they can to support these students and their families with career counselling and support in finding gainful employment. Should they wish to return to school later, we will be here to support them every step of the way.
Creating sustainable pathways out of poverty has only been possible with your ongoing generosity. Thanks to you, students like Nary* went to school for the first time. She was enrolled in the school’s Catch-up Programme in 2021 after her parents heard about ISF. It’s a lot of catching up academically with Nary studying at a Grade 2 level, but she has made great progress, which is so important for how Nary feels about herself. Her favourite subjects are Maths and English. And “Being able to go to school is my dream come true, and I would like to see kids my age receiving the same opportunities.” Even the COVID-19 pandemic didn’t stop her love of learning. Nary created her own study schedule and communicated regularly via group chats, staying in close touch with ISF teachers and classmates to make sure she didn’t fall behind class and to cope with isolation. The re-opening of ISF school was the best news for Nary. It meant getting back inside the classroom with friends and teachers, making up for lost time when she couldn’t attend school, plus excellent food and playing football – all the things that make Nary happy.
Thank you so much again for everything you have already done to create opportunities and hope for our students and their families. We simply couldn’t do it without you.
Best wishes,
Vicheka Chourp
Country Manager
*Names of children under 18 years old have been changed.
Links:
Project reports on GlobalGiving are posted directly to globalgiving.org by Project Leaders as they are completed, generally every 3-4 months. To protect the integrity of these documents, GlobalGiving does not alter them; therefore you may find some language or formatting issues.
If you donate to this project or have donated to this project, you can recieve an email when this project posts a report. You can also subscribe for reports without donating.
