Education for 300 Urban Poor Children

Sunshine Cambodia (SC) has worked in four target communities in Phnom Penh, Cambodia – Sansom Kosal, Stung Mean Chey, Thnoat Chrum, and Prey Tea – with 300 (153 or 51% are female and 147 or 49% are males) children from 200 families (with approximate 995 family members – 528 or 53% are females and 467 or 47% are male). With her prepared activity and strategy plan SC has worked very closely with all beneficiaries in order to improve living conditions and reduce poverty within those families and also focus on the children’s basic rights implementation. We hope that each child and family will grow holistically.

After children been selected into her project SC supports them with school materials, uniforms, extra tuition fee for formal education in both state and private schools and also for supplementary classes – English, Mathematics, Chemistry, Physics, Khmer and computer skills. Apart from this SC conducts weekly Children’s Clubs for primary school students and Youth’s Clubs in every two months for secondary, high school, and university students in each project target community, where children and youth learn various topics relevant to their lives.

To improve their living conditions and reduce poverty within those family’s Sunshine Cambodia also works very closely and directly with both mothers and fathers of those children. SC’s staff made a monthly plan to visit parents/children at their homes/schools and inviting them to attend the Parents’ Clubs every two months. Parents Clubs have played a very important role for SC to be able to work closely with her beneficiaries. Moreover, through the Clubs have they learnt useful lessons for life and got to know each other well and had fun. Sunshine Cambodia also provides counselling, parenting skills, vocational training and start-up capital, as well as emergency relief to them. All of these helped us to build very good relationship with the families and also get to know more about them and their needs. 

Let hear a story from a youth: "I seek to fulfil my dream to be an electrician".

SC’s staff has worked very hard with a boy, oh he is not really a boy now but a man who has been with our programs, since he was a small boy, Him, 21, a first year student of National Technical Training Institute at department of Electric; and his family in order to bring the improvement to this family. He was selected to SC’s project since 2007. From that time he has got support from SC as other kids. He said, “Since SC’s staff accepted me into the project they has supported me with food subsidy, extra tuition fee for public and private school. I got school uniforms and materials year very. But at that time I sometimes got sick because my health was not well. Sometime, I could not go to school. Besides, I like to play with other friends too. I, therefore, did not get any high grades from school. SC’s staff, Mr. Dath, encouraged me, and discussed with my mother and teachers about my attitude and my study. As a result, I came back to school and made it possible for me to get higher education. ”

A staff that’s been working with SC for about 9 years, Mr. Dath, said that “When I look back on his life and family does it always make me smile and I am very proud of him. I known him since he was very young, but now he grown bigger than me. I’m happy that Him has grown well and was able to study electric skill as he wished.” During our visit to his house, Him told us that, “My family is very poor and my parents divorced. I have 4 brothers and 2 sisters. I want to help my mother. I looked for a job while I was studying. Now I work at night to earn money for helping my mother and family. I work as a service order in a restaurant.”

To overcome all tough circumstances does not stop him from reaching his goal. “However, I seek to fulfil my dream to be an electrician and get bachelor degree on this subject in the next 5 years. Actually, when I was studying at primary school I almost drop off school many times. I had never expected that I am able to study until university. So I’m happy that I can save some money to buy a used-motor for travelling to study and to work. I will try my best to study and make my dream comes true. I would like to thank Sunshine Cambodia and her staff that have been encouraged me and always been with me. I hope I will get a good job in the future. I also hope that Sunshine Cambodia continually will help me to reach my goal and dream.” He said.

Without your support, Him and other children and youth could not have dream neighter persue for the dream.

Thank you very much on beahlf of them for your kind support.