GlobalGiving: Route Out of Poverty for Cambodian Children

February 2008 Progress Report

Lisa Hicks — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 03:23:19 GMT

All of us involved with The Sharing Foundation were totally amazed and thrilled by the generosity of so many donors who contributed to this project and helped us achieve first place in the America’s Giving Challenge. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!! With your support, we have fully funded these programs for the next year. Updated information on the evolution of these programs and other TSF initiatives can be found on our website at www.sharingfoundation.org.

Below are profiles of additional Cambodian students who participate in the Khmer literacy and English language programs. Thanks to donors like you, they now have the opportunity to obtain language skills that will help them access further education and better jobs. Your contributions really matter! We are extremely grateful for your support.

1. Profiles of Two Students in TSF’s Khmer Literacy Program,

Sok So, age 12, has been in TSF’s Khmer literacy school for three years and really enjoys school. She can now read, write, and spell. She loves the copy books and pencils provided by the school. So’s mother and father are farmers who cannot read or write. She is the fifth of eight children in her family. She now also attends the Roteang village school in the afternoon, in grade 4. She thinks she will grow up to be a farmer, but she wants to go to school “for a long time.”

Kam Samay, age 10, has also been studying at the Khmer literacy school for three years, and can now read and write fairly well. He likes his teacher, and enjoys the lessons with all the other children. Samay’s father died of cancer two years ago, and his mother died last year after a seizure. The family’s small stilt house burned down after a lamp tipped over; TSF rebuilt it for them. Samay and his six siblings have since been separated. Samay now lives in the little house on the farm with his brother, age 18, and one sister, age 11, who also attends the literacy school.

2. Profiles of Student in TSF’s English Language Program
Ly Sophea, age 16, speaks English incredibly well, and seeks out any foreigner who appears in the village to practice her skills. She has studied in the TSF English school nearly every day for the last five years, and with TSF sponsorship, now attends 10th grade in the local public high school. She wants badly to go to University. Attending to studies is her highest priority, so she can pass the National High School Graduation Exam at the end of grade 12. She wants to be an interpreter when she completes her education.

Her parents had only rudimentary education in the first years of grammar school, but support her ambition. They are farmers, growing mangoes, bananas, and some vegetables which they sell in the local Koki market. Sophea says that, without TSF, she could never have gone past grade 6, or studied English. “Now I can hope to have a good job and support my parents. “

Attachments:

November 2007 Progress Report

Lisa Hicks — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 16:09:08 GMT

KHMER LITERACY SCHOOL UPDATE
A very proud moment arrived in October for Chheng Srey Mom and Hun Srey Neath, as well as for The Sharing Foundation and our Khmer Literacy School! Children of families in our farming cooperative project, they initially attended the literacy school out on the edge of the farm fields. They progressed to the public village school, then to the TSF English language school, and now they are ready for high school! This is the first time Khmer Literacy School students have progressed to this point, and it is a tribute to their families, too, that they are willing to give up the girls’ labor as farmers so they can pursue their educations.

Chheng Srey Mom, 16, whose parents stopped school in grades 3 and 7, and whose two grown brothers also stopped in grammar school, has completed grade 8. She first went to the Literacy school five years ago, then joined the public school at the 4th grade level, and also began after-school English classes with TSF. Srey Mom wants to be a teacher; her favorite subject is Khmer. At her interview, she wrote she “wants to work hard for high education, and when I have good knowledge, I can help my community.”

Hun Srey Neath, 17, has three siblings, all of whom left school in early grades; her father finished 7th grade, her mother, 6th. Srey Neath would like to be a doctor “to help children and give them advice.”

Both girls are now eligible for TSF’s High School sponsorship program. (See link to TSF's Winter 2007 newsletter for additional detail.)

Additional note: TSF's Khmer Literacy School was closed for several days this fall due to flooding during the heavy rainy season. See school photo.

PROFILE OF STUDENT IN TSF'S ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROGRAM
Lun Vandy is an 11th grade student from Roteang Village who attends the Jayavarman VII High School. Her father is dead and her mother works for The Sharing Foundation’s cooperative farm project. Vandy has three older sisters and an older brother, all of whom quit school before grade 8. She also has a younger brother currently in grade 8.

Vandy has been studying English in the Foundation’s English language program for approximately three years. She was unable to afford any of the private classes at her high school, in which much of the real learning takes place, until she was sponsored by The Sharing Foundation one year ago. TSF’s sponsorship allows her to attend smaller high school classes which provide more individual attention. Vandy never misses her classes.

In addition, Vandy is currently enrolled in The Sharing Foundation’s computer school, where six students are rotated in, every six weeks. The students learn general use of Windows, basic word processing, and basic spreadsheets. The school has capacity to demonstrate how the internet works, but students do not yet have regular access.

Vandy would like one day to be an English teacher “because I can share my knowledge and experience with young Cambodians to develop the country.”

Links:

TSF Winter 2007 newsletter

Attachments:

July 2007 Update

Lisa Hicks — Fri, 06 Jul 2007 02:24:26 GMT

The Sharing Foundation's July 2007 update features profiles of two students in the English Language program: Noun Sopheap, and Cheng Boran. Additional profiles will be posted in August and September.
Attachments:

GG July progress report.doc

March 2007 Update

Lisa Hicks — Sun, 25 Mar 2007 21:28:46 GMT

Following the recommendations of two American professors who visited the program last fall, The Sharing Foundation has made significant improvements to the English Language program. These include hiring seven more qualified new teachers and investing in their ongoing professional development, and "weeding out" students who were in the program for social rather than educational purposes. Feedback from both students and teachers is very positive! Read more about the changes and see a photo of the teachers on page 4 in TSF's Winter 2007 newsletter at the link below. Support from project sponsors continues to make a very real difference in the life prospects of these students. Thank you!

Links:

TSF Winter 2007 newsletter

January 2007 Update

Lisa Hicks — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 15:30:30 GMT

The Sharing Foundation's January 2007 update, provided in the attached word document, features profiles of two Khmer Literacy School students. Pictures of the students have been posted in the photo gallery.

In addition, for those interested, an article written by the American professors who trained teachers in TSF's English Language program last fall is included in TSF's Winter 2006 newsletter on page 3.

Links:

Sharing Foundation Winter 2006 newsletter

Attachments:

TSF January 2007 Update

October 2006 Update

Lisa Hicks — Thu, 05 Oct 2006 18:10:29 GMT

The Sharing Foundation's October 2006 progress report is provided in the attached word document. The report references links to two TSF newsletters which provide additional background.

Links:

Attachments:

October 2006 Progress Report