Education for 300 Urban Poor Children

Story of Change

“…I am so happy that I can be an outstanding student, rank 2, in annual.”

Vichana was born on December 13th, 2014, in Kamrieng village, Sena Reach Otdam commune, Preah Sdach district. Now she is 9 years old and studying in 5th grade at Kamrieng primary school. She lives with her grandmother. She has one brother, Rithy. Vichana was the first child in the family. Her family lives in her grandparents’ house with seven family members because her parents do not have an owner's house yet. Her father is a driver for a factory in Phnom Penh, and her mother is a homemaker.

Vichana shared the challenges and consequences of her studies last time. In general, she was always a bit shy and lazy about studying both at home and at school. She did not have the confidence to talk and raise any study problems or matters with her teachers and friends, especially when she did not understand and keep up with the lessons well in the class. She did not dare raise her hand to ask any questions to the teachers and friends. Before she was a shy and fearsome girl, she was nervous about talking, speaking up, playing and joining any class or school activities or events. As a result, her study results were also not good at that time, and she got a low score every month. Her family also could not provide her with enough study materials such as bags, notebooks, pens, pencils, and rulers, etc. due to the family financial crisis. According to an interview with her grandmother on December 21, 2023, she shared, "…yes, Vichana was always a bit shy and lazy to study both at home and school, so her study results were not good. She always got a low average score every month and year. In addition, I was unhappy with her school result, but I still encouraged her to study hard for her future life…" and her teacher also said that “...it is true that Vichana is a bit shy and lazy to study at school, and her education was poor. She did not get good school result every month and year...”

Fortunately, in July 2021, Vichana was selected for the school development program of the Sunshine Cambodia organization. This program provided her with notebooks, pens, pencils, notebooks, and rulers every academic year. The program also supported her family food packages such as rice, noodles, fish sauce, soy sauce, sugar, and milk. All of these supports really encouraged and made her so happy, and it was a good assistance to help and improve her study and family living condition too. The program team not only provided these materials for her and her family, but we also conducted home visits with her family. During the visiting time, the program staff always talked and encouraged her to study hard both at school and home, and we worked closely with principals and teachers to motivate her to be more confidence and brave in the class and attend any school activities and events. The staff also shared with her the importance of education for the future, children’s rights/participation, child’s safeguarding, and hygiene during the visit, and we encouraged the teachers to teach all students about these topics too.

Now Vichana improves a lot on her studies, courage, and relationships with friends and teachers at school. She shared with the program staff that "…now my study result is good, and I also improve confidence, courage, and relationships with my friends and teachers. I dare to talk and raise any issues related to my studies in the class, and I always ask my friends and teachers whenever I do not understand and keep up with the lessons well. I mostly study hard both at school and home because the teachers and program team always encourage and motivate me to study more at home. Thus, my yearly study result is 2nd among 34 students in the class. I’m happy with this result…” According to an interview with her teacher in December 2023, he mentioned with a smiling face that "...now Vichana improves her relationship with the teachers and classmates, and she also has courage to talk and raise any concern related to her studies to me and her classmates. She has good relationships with friends. She studies hard both at school and at home. As a result, now her study results are also good since she was supported by the program..."

“… Drinking safe water keeps me healthy.”

Sreylin was born on December 03, 2009. She is now 15 years old and lives in Khvet village, Theay commune, Baphnom district. Sreylin is studying in 7th grade at Theay secondary school. Sreylin is also a single daughter in the family. Currently, Sreylin lives with her old grandmother in a small house in their homeland because her parents moved to work as a construction worker and garment factory worker in Phnom Penh due to the difficulty conditions.

In the past, Sreylin did not take care of her health and personal hygiene, and she also did not understand or apply good drinking, living, and eating in her daily life. Thus, her health was not good, and she more often got sick and had diarrhea, because her family did not have clean water to drink every day. In general, Sreylin’s family always drank unsafe water such as rainwater or well water without boiling properly because her family did not have a water filter at home for drinking every day. So that’s why Sreylin mostly got sick, such as diarrhea, and her family also spent a lot of time and money on buying medicine. As a result, she could not attend school regularly because of a bad health condition.

However, everything changed a lot after she was selected for the school development program in July 2021. The program provides her and her family with hygiene materials such as toothbrushes, toothpastes, nail clippers, soaps, and water filters, and we also provide study materials, especially food packages for her family. All this support really encouraged and made her very happy, and it is also a good assistant in improving her health, condition, or hygiene, and livelihood for a large part of her family. In addition, the program team not only provided these materials for her and the family, but we also conducted home/family and school visits with her and the family. During the visits, we always encouraged her to study hard both at school and at home, and we also shared with her and grandmother the importance of hygiene and good drinking, living, and eating, because health is the most important life for our life and life. At school, we shared and taught her and all students, about personal hygiene and how to drink safe and clean water for good health.

Now Sreylin understands well the importance of hygiene and good drinking, eating, and living. She also practices or applies it well in daily living, both at home and at school. She more often washes hands, cut fingernails or toenails once per week, takes a bath, brushes her teeth, washes clothes and hair regularly especially she always drinks clean or safe water every day, both at home and school a because now her family has a water filter at home and school, so she just refills the clean water any time. She doesn’t spend much time and money on buying firewood and gas for boiling water anymore. Sreylin also shared with a smiling face that “… I am so happy because now my family has a water filter at home, so I always have clean or safe water to drink any time. My health condition is also good if I compare it with the last time. Now I do not get sick more often, such as diarrhea as before, and I attend school regularly. Finally, I would like to say thank you so much to the program team who supports me and my family, especially providing water for my family…”