Breaking the Cycle of Poverty in Rural Cambodia

The new school year will soon be upon us and the students in rural Cambodia. There will be students who have graduated from the primary level and will be heading to the secondary level. Among the students who will be going into the secondary level this fall, there will be many who live too far to walk to school and will, therefore, likely drop out. It is time to seriously consider the educational needs of poor rural Cambodian students.

In a 2022 study done by Cambodia Travel, Cambodia suffers one of the highest rates of school dropouts in the world. According to UNESCO, more than 60% of students in Cambodia do not complete primary school. One study done by Knoema in 2013 reported the drop-out rate for primary education for Cambodia was 53.1%.

There are a lot of reasons students drop out of school in Cambodia. The most common is that families are too poor to send their child to school, so the child must work to help support their families and themselves. Students dropping out of school is causing a major problem for the country, because it limits opportunities for the ability of individuals or families to improve their social and economic status. In recent years the Cambodian goverment has made some progress to reduce the dropout rate, but more needs to be done to ensure all children have access to education.

In a 2011 analysis and report done by USAID, dropout prevention is a relatively new focus of concern in developing countries. Dropout rates are now getting more attention and have emerged as a major access to education issue. With larger numbers of vulnerable children and fewer resources per child, education systems are having an increasing challenge to retain students all the way through school to the completion of their basic education cycle. Many students leave school without acquiring basic skills and the diplomas that are so important, not only for higher education but for future employment. Students' premature departure is also a significant waste of the already scarce educational resources.

A bicycle is one simple way to help reduce dropout rates. By providing a student with a bicycle, your $55USD gift can give the access needed for his/her education and to the development of that student's and the country's future.

Time is running out. We need your financial help now to acquire and distribute bicycles to students who are wanting to continue in school, but need transportation to make it possible. Thank you.