Support Construction of a School Dormitory in Mlu Prey, Cambodia.
Funds raised so far: 34%
The Situation
The Preah Vihear region, located in the North of Cambodia, is one of the most deprived areas in the country. Dropout rates for children are extremely high, caused by a lack of secondary schools in the area and the cost of sending children to school, which most families cannot afford.
During the raining seasons, the roads (which all consist of laterite tracks) become virtually impassible—making it impossible for children to reach school and disrupting the continuity of their education.
The School
The school has 397 pupils. Of the 333 pupils who provided information, 212 belong to families with poverty cards. Poverty cards provide monthly aid are granted by the Asian Development Bank, intended for families living in extreme poverty. In Cambodia, only 7% of the population had a poverty card last April. Faced with poverty and long and expensive commutes, 27 students (7% of the school’s total enrolment) left the school last year, the majority being in Year 10.
Because of the poverty of the families, the scarcity of secondary schools and the often impassable state of the roads, the school drop-out rate remains high. Travel, which is too expensive for families and too tiring for children, is one of the main causes of school drop-out. Our priority is therefore to significantly reduce this drop-out rate.
Our Solution
To meet these challenges, it is essential to build a dormitory within the school to accommodate students facing these difficulties.
Building this dormitory within the school means that young people from the surrounding villages, which have no secondary school nearby, can attend school. Under the supervision of resident teachers, will be able to accommodate 32 students, giving them the opportunity to complete their studies, and will allow 8 teachers to move in to teach there.
The contractor is well known to Children of the Mekong team in the region, having built one of the buildings at the Preah Vihear centre 4 years ago. He is very meticulous and takes care to choose reliable, high-quality materials, so that the work carried out will stand the test of time
The Construction
Children of the Mekong has been supporting disadvantaged children in Southeast Asia since 1958 through our development programmes, schools, and child sponsorship. Child sponsorship is crucial in providing education and vocational training for substantial and sustainable employment. After obtaining an education, a young person’s employment prospects improve enormously, and are more likely to attain better pay, improved working environments, and a better standard of living. By sponsoring a child today, you will be allowing a child to reach their full potential and go on to uplift their family and local community.
