During
the past two months I’ve visited a number of Commune schools (Bousra, Srae
Ompoom, Buchi Ri Communes); observed classes in action; met, listened,
discussed, exchanged ideas (and more) with partners in Penchr Chenda, Ou Reang
and Sen Monorom Districts.
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| Giving a lesson |
It
is evident that some schools are better equipped than
others. Schools that were better equipped and had latrines,
rain-water harvest, proper sanitation, breakfast and dental programs, appeared
to care more about their school. Even the school grounds were
clean and were free of garbage. School walls inside and out had
painted pictures of 'One day in the life of a Cambodian …' There seemed to be a
sense of pride!
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| Children at play |
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| Gymnastics anyone? |
Other
Commune Schools … where roads are treacherous and hard to reach … were not as
well provided for and infrastructure poorly maintained. The
Ministry of Education regulated by the CPP government (Cambodia People’s Party)
allocates the Communes just enough money to build a
school. Basically the ‘shell’ of a school is built on a Commune
lot. It is not the Ministry’s responsibility to provide the
school with the ‘extras’ (which we would consider to be the 'basics' in the
West). The school is built on a plot of land and there are no
considerations as to whether a well or a bore hole can be built in close
vicinity to the school in order to relatively have ‘easy’ access to water.
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| Children's Art |
My
Khmer colleague and I are in the process of building capacity -working closely
with Bunong / Cham partners who know the system well here in
Mondul Kiri Province to assess and identify their needs Also, to provide
and assist Commune Schools with a 'healthy living' and a 'breakfast' programme.
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| Children at work |
However,
before we go ahead with the work and get approval from the Commune Chief and
the Community, our strategy is to continue to focus on capacity building.
Our best approach is to continue to observe and to listen to the
people’s concern; listen to what they have to say, listen to what the people
want us to do. In the end, is to take action when the time is right
to provide meaningful services that make sense to the village
people. Undoubtedly, this may be a long process. My Volunteer
Assistant (VA) told me when I hired him as my translator that ‘It’s
very important to eat, drink and socialize with the community before anyone
begins to work with them’. Understandably so.
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| Commune School |
Added
to this; when we first arrived in Cambodia, a VSO volunteer and her
accompanied partner who had been living in Cambodia for 3 years, remarked ‘It
takes a full year to immerse yourself in the culture, language and the local
community. It takes another year –a second year to be productive
and work with the people'.
More later ...
In all the schools I had visited -children were well behaved, humble and happy.
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| Greetings at the beginning of the day "S'sweday" |
Oh yes, A Merry Christmas and a Happy and a Prosperous New Year to all you! Alice/Kevin
More later …
