By Raksmey Var | Country Representative
The academic year in Cambodia in 2021 started on January 11th, but had to pause in early March due to an outbreak of covid-19. By September, after a very challenging and uncertain year and a half, 88.07 percent of Cambodia’s population had been fully vaccinated and the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports finally announced the reopening of schools. Since September, schools have been operating fairly regularly, which has meant a resumption of our programs and assessing where students are at after two years of the covid-19 pandemic.
Last year, CATALYST had more applications than ever from young women around Cambodia who were interested in attending university. In anticipation of this continually increasing interest in higher education, the program is expanding to accommodate a total of 77 students in 2022!
In mid-December, CATALYST announced on Facebook and to 12th grade GATE students that they had 18 university scholarship places available for young women from low-income families. 93 students applied from 13 provinces. So far 46 social audits have been conducted and the audits will continue until the middle of February. Audits are conducted with applicants and their families to determine the best suited candidates for the CATALYST scholarship.
With more students coming into the program, CATALYST also saw the need for another residence in Phnom Penh for the incoming scholars. A suitable space was finalized and students can start to move in from the second week of February. This means that CATALYST will have 4 residences in 2022: 2 in Siem Reap and 2 in Phnom Penh! Residential homes have proven to be supportive and effective for both staff and students. They have become immersive environments that foster community alongside personal growth. We are excited to witness the success of this program and to support these young women in reaching for their dreams.
Thank you for supporting access to education with Lotus Outreach. We hope in the future to be able to offer more girls opportunities through CATALYST, to meet the huge demand for higher education scholarships here in Cambodia.
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