We educate children at our free school located in Po Village, Takeo Province, Cambodia and is located approximately 94 kilometers from the capital city Phnom Penh. Children are taught the official Government Curriculum, as well as Khmer and English literacy.
We are based in Po Village, Takeo Province, Cambodia and is located approximately 94 kilometres from the capital city Phnom Penh. The village is in a poorly serviced remote, rural area with unmade roads. The children in the Po village come from poor rice cropping families and have limited prospects to assist them, break out of the cycle of poverty.
Providing the children from Po Village with the opportunity to attend a free NGO school such as Children With Hope for Development improves their educational opportunities to become literate in Khmer and English. At CHD we teach the Government Curriculum to multi level students. As qualified Teachers we know that education improves children’s confidence and their self worth and gives them some hope for their future.
Cambodia's history is one of civil war, genocide and political disruption. Currently, after years of conflict Cambodia is now a developing country and GDP is slowly increasing. However, the gap between the rich and the poor is also increasing, and much international assistance to Cambodia does not always reach intended targets.
In Cambodia, most of the population (85%) are involved in rural agriculture. Weak infrastructure and poor investment in agriculture and rural development has mean that many of these people are still struggling to reach an income of US$1 per day.
As a result, many migrate to the cities to find work. However, there are also many difficulties faced in the cities because education levels and skills are too low. Migration to the cities for work can cause families to be split up and this creates further social difficulties.
Employment is very competitive and obtaining employment in either the new, small private sector or the public sector is very difficult and poorly paid. Healthcare is meant to be free, however, in reality, it is extremely expensive and many families find themselves unable to afford basic medical treatment which further compounds their social disadvantage.
Cambodian society still reels from the trauma of war and there is a high level of inter generational post traumatic stress, mental illness, alcoholism and domestic violence in society. These are just some of the myriad of wide spread social problems that impacts peoples’ lives. The rural and remote areas in Cambodia have a high incidence of poverty, poor health and child malnutrition.
Owing to the remoteness of Po Village and the high incidence of natural disasters, government investment in the area is weak. Social problems include increasing population, food prices, water access, lack of medical treatment, poor ante natal care and impaired child development. The children of poor rural families live without education, food security, disease prevention, clean water, hygienic clothes, medical assistance and family reconciliation.
Moreover, families cannot afford to send their children to school due to the lack of transportation and the remoteness of schools. Also, some families who value education have to ask their children to stop studying and contribute to the family income by contributing to domestic labour, animal raising, garbage collection, soil digging, rice, crop planting or other unskilled employment.
Children who have been orphaned as a result of HIV, disease, accident or other cause of death face a bleak future in Cambodia unless they have access to a NGO that provides full care or are adopted into a family. Some children are at risk of becoming victims of human trafficking, sexual abuse, prostitution and exploitation at the hands of pimps and paedophiles.
The project at Po Village has been created to assist children out of illiteracy, create opportunity for them and contribute to the development of our society and Cambodia.
Volunteering Positions
- English teacher: Teach English, Arts, and Other Extra Curricular activities for children studying in Government Schools.
- Writer: formulating projects and Experience of writing project proposals to donor
- Fundraising: Help us raise funds for our project. Identifying donors, sending them proposals, follow up, etc. Help us in online fundraising activities for our project.
- Technology and Website Support: Support technology and website need of our organisation. Initiatives like E-Newsletter, Blogs, Websites, etc are required.
Cost
Food
Volunteers should pay food for themselves. The price of a meal starts from 1.50$ for one person.
Guest House
The room with fan costs 5$/person/night. The rooms are clean and include towels and sheets, two beds and a small ensuite, mosquito /fly screens, no cooking facilities. The room with air-conditioner costs 10$USDperson/night. One month costs 150$USD per person for the accommodation.
Travel
Expenses have to be covered by the volunteers and bike hire is available at a rental of1.50$ USD per day because the CHD school is located 8 km from Takeo town. Volunteers should expect to expend around 350$USD to 450$USD per month for one volunteer. If you want us to pick you up at the airport, please inform in advance and we will make arrangements.
