Inspired by the global call to action “Make Poverty History”, Opportunity Cambodia was created to provide education and training for some of Cambodia’s poorest and most vulnerable children and young people so that they can become healthy, self-empowered and self- sustaining members of their society.
Opportunity Cambodia was established 13 years ago to enable children from some of the poorest families in rural Cambodia to gain an education and vocational training. Our project recognises the importance of a holistic approach that supports the health and emotional wellbeing of the children as a foundation for learning.
This approach has been successful in supporting young students to stay at school, complete Grade 9 and to go on to vocational training. It has also enabled more ambitious students to stay at school through to the end of high school. To this end we opened a facility in Siem Reap to house and care for our high school students, and provide them with a range of extra classes such as English, basic accounting, and soft skills such as leadership and communication.
Our mission is to break the cycle of poverty in Cambodia”
Two years ago we established a Tertiary Scholarship program to support poor rural students through university and technical training. So far our scholarship students are showing real commitment and doing well in their exams.
Three years ago Opportunity Cambodia decided to open a pre-school in our rural commune. Pre-schools are not common in rural Cambodia but we saw it as a way to engage very poor and illiterate parents with the process of education, and to encourage them to send their children to school when they reach school age. We provide workshops for the parents in areas such as basic nutrition and hygiene, safety and first aid, and the benefits of education.
It is inspiring to see how children from desperately poor circumstances respond to the educational opportunity they are given. They work hard towards realising their aspirations for a brighter future for themselves and their communities.
Opportunity Cambodia provides education and training for some of
Cambodia’s poorest and most vulnerable children and youth so that they can
become healthy, self-empowered and self-sustaining members of their society.
OpCam’s guiding principles
- focus on education and training for poor children in rural communities
- education for life – life skills and applied learning
- gender equality in education
- quality of teaching and learning
- achieving and measuring results
- small scale initiatives at community level
- working with the families, the local community and the culture
- child protection and safety
- transparency and accountability in financial and project management
All donations are directly applied to the beneficiaries due to the support of
the Fletcher family. Around 42 dollars a month or a one-time donation of $2000
will allow a university student to complete a 4-year university degree.
