In rural Cambodia, up to 80% of families do not have access to toilets or sanitation. This is also true of government schools. It is hard to imagine secondary schools of more than 1000 students without a working toilet or clean water tap but this is the situation faced in many school districts across the country.
Perhaps the biggest impact is seen in girl education. Girls may enter secondary schooling full of promise and enthusiasm but challenges with sanitation and access to toilets were listed as one of the key deterrents from girls continuing with their schooling.
In contrast, there is an ever-increasing number of garment factories needing more workers and a growing number of manufacturing plants trying to secure cheap labour. These two situations are leading to more and more young girls leaving school for working conditions that are very difficult and provide minimum opportunity to earn a sustainable living.
Focus Cambodia is working with government school leaders to address these challenges: building toilet blocks, digging wells for clean water access, stripping and sealing classroom walls for improved study conditions and providing training in health and hygiene. And doing all of this in partnership with local school authorities and community leadership. Before partnering with schools and communities, we establish relationship and understanding for the local leaders to maintain the services with a maintenance plan and allocation of resources.
Everyone participates. Everyone assumes responsibility. And the results have been fantastic in keeping girls with academic potential in school. Bringing real hope that tomorrow has the promise of a better future. What could be better than that?
Our 2019 Project
This year we plan to build a toilet block with 5 toilets and handwashing facilities at Hun Sen Trosek Krong High School in Kampot. A school with 1730 students and only two functional toilets. Yes, you read correctly!
The school principal has been at the school for 17 years. He has been progressive and committed to improving the standard of education and the facilities. The old toilet block will be allocated to the boys, and the new building will be girls only (a learning from the girls on our last project) but with shared handwashing facilities.
The total cost to build is $15,000. That’s less than $10 per student. There’s no doubt this will make an enormous difference to the students, particularly the girls. We need your support to make it happen. We are asking our community to jump on board, by making a donation of $30.
This will change a girl’s life forever.
To make a donation today please visit our fundraising page https://focuscambodiakompot-gdg-j658.raisely.com/
