Author: Grace

The Goducate Children’s Home in Cambodia has been helping to teach at a private school in a village called “Chomp Ka Pec “, which means “Diamond Farm”. This is a village of more than 300 families of farmers and fishermen working for a private individual . The area is very remote, which is why the owner set up a small school exclusively for the workers’ children.

There are about 70 children attending the school. Each school day lasts only 2 h because the children have to walk (some barefooted ) 2-4 km to school and another 2-4 km back. The children’s desire for learning is very obvious because, despite the arduous journey to and from school, they turn up rain or shine.

Since May staff from the Goducate Children’s Home, together with some of the older children, have been going over three times a week to teach English.

On July 4, the Goducate Children’s Home, which includes a school for the residents, held its annual closing and awards program to mark the end of the 2013/14 school year. The theme for this year’s event was Character Building: Academic Excellence. In his message the guest speaker, Goducate director Victor Yeo, stressed three points that the Goducate Children’s Home should uphold: (1) Authenticity—in terms of providing a homelike environment; (2) Character Molding— which should be based on example and mentorship; and (3) Education—as the bridge for the children’s usefulness in the future, not only in Cambodia but also abroad. He ended his speech with a call for the children to remain Cambodians so that they can help other needy Cambodians.

During the program, the children were given an opportunity to showcase their talents and skills in playing different musical instruments.  The musical items were presented by the String Ensemble (violin and guitar group), the piano soloists, and the Junior and Primary Recorder Ensemble. Other items were presented by the Beginners, the Khmer class, and the speech choir.

Goducate believes in equipping each child for the future not only through academic training but also by teaching them practical livelihood skills, such as agriculture, farming, electrical work, welding, and music. For those in the music program, there are daily practices, with discipline being emphasized as one of the keys to success.

Agriculture is one of the livelihood projects at the Goducate Children’s Home in Cambodia. It is a livelihood skill that could be useful for the children when they leave the Home, either as a means of livelihood for themselves, or as a skill that they might be able to impart to others in their community. Agricultural training is thus, like schoolwork and other duties in the Home, part of the children’s daily activities.

Twelve of the older children have been grouped into twos or threes, with each group being assigned a parcel of land on which they grow about four crops. They are taught how to prepare their own plots, and they are also provided a greenhouse in which to grow their seedlings. The children sell their crops to the Home at a little lower than the market price, and from their earnings they return the capital cost of their crops.

About two months ago, they enjoyed the fruit of their labor, when they had their first harvest of organic tomatoes. Most of the tomatoes were sold to the Home, but one lot was sold to a friend of the Home.

Aside from tending their own plots, the children are help with planting in different areas of the Home. They have been planting a leguminous tree, Madre de Cacao, which has nitrogen-fixing properties and thus will help to fertilize the ground. They have also been planting Moringa for consumption in the Home, because this plant provides many nutrients.

Right now, the children are preparing their plots for a second batch of seedlings.