Summary
Khmer Akphiwat Khmer Organization (KAKO), our partner in Cambodia, is a non-profit organisation that runs several projects aimed at improving education. This includes running preschools, scholarships and libraries that reach out to some of the poorest villages in Siem Reap Province.
In 2003 KAKO launched a scholarship programme for hard-working students ages 12 to 20 who came from underprivileged backgrounds. The scholarship would give these students the opportunity to complete their education and open the door to better-paying jobs that would have previously been harder – if not impossible – to qualify for.
In 2012 KAKO approached Philanthropy Connections (PCF) to support students selected for the scholarship programme. That same year we were able to begin finding sponsors for the students, and from sponsoring 8 students we are now supporting 53.
Background
Poverty is one of the main reasons behind low school attendance. Families, especially in rural areas, have little incentive to keep their children in school when they can work in the field and earn an income. Girls in particular need to take care of household chores, watch over their siblings and support the head of the household. These factors often take priority, leaving some children unable to complete their education.
In rural areas only 53% of children ages six to 18 years old completed the 2014/2015 academic year; of these only 15% completed secondary school (1). Dropouts after primary school are also largely due to families being unable to afford school fees.
The KAKO scholarship takes the financial burden off of families by paying for students’ school fees, uniforms, and stationery. It also directly assists the family by providing them with rice as compensation for income lost from their children not working, as well as a bicycle for the beneficiary to cycle to school. The programme makes it possible for more children to finish primary and secondary school and qualify for higher paying jobs in the future.
As an additional incentive, scholarship students and their families are also given priority in receiving a toilet built next to their house, which is part of an ongoing toilet sanitation project run by KAKO and PCF.
1. Ministry of Education (2015). Education Statistic and Indicators 2014 – 2015 [PDF], EMIS Office, Department of Planning, Phnom Penh, page 55.
Goals and Results
Since 2012 we have found sponsors to finance a total of ten scholarship students.
Students supported through PCF from 2015 to date
Students supported through PCF from 2012 to 2016:
Cheun Hean, supported from 2012 to 2016. Cheun Hean graduated in 2016 and then continued onto university! In 2016, she started studying accountancy on a university scholarship provided by PCF.
Dok Srei-ny, supported from 2012 to 2015. Srei-ny was the first KAKO scholarship student to successfully complete secondary school. In November 2015 she started a four-year course in finance and banking at the University of South East Asia in Siem Reap. Her college tuition is taken care of through another PCF scholarship programme. She dreams of having a job in microfinance to help people in her village to start businesses of their own and to open up her own business in the future.
Te Saveoun, supported from 2012 to 2014. Saveoun went up for her final examination of secondary school in 2014, but did not pass. Instead she started working as a cook assistant at a restaurant in Siem Reap. Saveoun’s studies, although unfinished, ultimately helped her get the restaurant job.
Pong Pea-Reas, supported from 2012 to 2013. Like Saveoun, Pea-Reas chose a different path before completing secondary school and instead studied to be a cook in Siem Reap. She completed the course in 2013, got married shortly thereafter, and now works at a hotel. In 2015 Pea-Reas gave birth to a healthy baby boy and is very happy.
Sponsors
What's Been Happening Recently
𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗮 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗮𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁!
"Ten years ago we supported Dok Srei-ny with an education scholarship for the last 3 years of her secondary school. And recently, after a wait of 4 years, she just received her diploma from University of South East Asia in Siem Reap!
Today, Dok Srei-ny is giving back, as a grade 4 at Stung Preah Srok Primary School (one of 4 remote rural village schools we support in Cambodia). It's inspiring to see her not only achieving her dreams but also contributing to the education of others.
This incredible journey was made possible, all thanks to the generous support of our sponsor and former volunteer, Melanie Naegeli and her family. Their dedication not only empowered Dok Srei-ny but now plays a pivotal role in shaping a brighter future for others.
𝗪𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗗𝗼𝗸-𝗦𝗿𝗲𝗶 𝗻𝘆 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆:
bit.ly/3uetMce
𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗞𝗔𝗞𝗢 𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗮𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗺𝗲:
bit.ly/40yLLGt
#KAKO #Education #Cambodia #SiemReap #PhilanthropyConnections
4 CommentsComment on Facebook
KAKO!
What excellent news! We‘re very proud of Dok Srey Ny‘s journey and wish her and her pupils nothing but health and happiness.
We are so proud of you, Srey Ny, and thank you Philanthropy Connections for your support for Sreyny. It's always good to see she's growing and even better to see her contribution back to the society. Again, thank you all donors :)
Srey Ny!
𝗚𝗥𝗘𝗘𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗦 𝗙𝗥𝗢𝗠 𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗦𝗖𝗛𝗢𝗟𝗔𝗥𝗦𝗛𝗜𝗣 𝗦𝗧𝗨𝗗𝗘𝗡𝗧
Meet Hoeng Vorleak, a 17-year-old scholarship student in rural Cambodia who is currently in Grade 11 in High School.
In a letter to her sponsor, Hoeng Vorleak wrote, "I would like to wish you a long and beautiful life, safe travels, happiness, and more love from the people around you. I commit myself to studying hard, doing my best, and listening to the teachers to achieve good results."
She is one of 63 students we support in Cambodia. We provide them with scholarships so that they can create better opportunities in life for themselves and their families, and strive for better circumstances than those they currently live in.
We extend our gratitude to Hoeng Vorleak’s sponsors, Reineke Bakhoven and Frank de Vos, for generously supporting three students per year since 2017.
For more information about this project click here:
philanthropyconnections.org/project/scholarships-for-cambodian-girls
#KAKO #ScholarshipStudent
0 CommentsComment on Facebook
𝗚𝗥𝗘𝗘𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗦 𝗙𝗥𝗢𝗠 𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗦𝗖𝗛𝗢𝗟𝗔𝗥𝗦𝗛𝗜𝗣 𝗦𝗧𝗨𝗗𝗘𝗡𝗧
Meet Oun Saorai, a 14-year-old scholarship student in rural Cambodia who is currently in Grade 7 at Dontro Secondary School.
In a letter to her sponsor, Oun Saorai wrote, "I would like to wish you and your family the best of luck, good health, and happiness in your life. I am committed to my studies in order to achieve good results or the top rank in the class."
She is one of 63 students we support in Cambodia. We provide them with scholarships so that they can create better opportunities in life for themselves and their families, and strive for better circumstances than those they currently live in.
We extend our gratitude to Oun Saorai’s sponsors, Reineke Bakhoven and Frank de Vos, for generously supporting three students per year since 2017.
For more information about this project click here:
philanthropyconnections.org/project/scholarships-for-cambodian-girls
#KAKO #ScholarshipStudent
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