In rural and remote areas of Cambodia, teachers travel long distances or stay in unsuitable accommodation to teach their students. As we celebrate International Teachers' Day 2021, we want to highlight the importance of ensuring that women teachers have safe working conditions as they return to their classrooms.
Before COVID-19, in Cambodia's rural Kampong Thom province, teacher Koeun Kimsry's commute to school was 120 km, too far to travel daily, so she had to live in a community-built dormitory near the school. But holes in the roof of the building and the lack of good ventilation did not make for very restful nights.
In remote areas such as Krayea Tbong village where Kimsry teaches, renting a house is not an option as it might be in a more developed or urban area. Many teachers sleep in a building divided into rooms with dormitories (one for men, one for single women and one for women with children). The small wooden structure that housed Kimsry and 15 other teachers posed particular problems for its female occupants during their stay there.
" The toilets are too far from my dormitory so I was afraid to use them at night. Even during the day, I preferred to use the students' toilets "explains Kimsry.
Rebuilding education
Today, as the vaccination campaign for children in Cambodia is underway and hopes are high that schools will reopen after months of prolonged closures, Aide et Action is supporting the development of better school infrastructure for teachers like Kimsry so that teachers have better living conditions and are better equipped to provide quality education.
In partnership with the European Union, Educate A Child (a global program of the Education Above All Foundation), the Institute of Advocacy and Policy, the local councils of Pursat and Kampong Thom and the Krayea school, Aide et Action has started the construction of a new dormitory for female teachers in September 2021.
Construction is expected to be completed by the end of October, and the new dormitory will be reserved for eight female teachers who live far from the school. The school and community have also been mobilising to raise funds for the construction of new toilets for the teachers, an addition that Kimsry and her colleagues warmly welcome.
" There will be toilets next to the building, so I think I will feel safe to use them at night now "said Kimsry. She believes that the size of the building will make it more comfortable and allow her to work better. " I will feel more at ease and will therefore be able to concentrate more on the preparation of the lessons and the correction of the student's assignments. "
In solidarity with Cambodian teachers
For Cambodian teachers, the unprecedented educational emergency caused by COVID-19 has taken teachers out of the classroom and into mobile phone and television screens, radios and even students' homes to deliver education by any means necessary. Now, as we prepare to reopen the doors of the classrooms, we want to offer them continued support and solidarity to safely resume face-to-face teaching.
From the construction of dormitories and toilets to the provision of hygiene and learning materials for students and teachers alike, Aide et Action remains committed to the continuity of education for all. As we celebrate International Teachers' Day on 5th October 2021, we recognize and appreciate the unwavering commitment of the teachers we work with.
Supporting teachers also means supporting children, their students, tomorrow's citizens and, more broadly, their communities! This is why, thanks to you, Aide et Action supports more than 10,500 teachers around the world to give them the means to do their job with dignity.
On this special day, your donation will help us to continue our mission and support even more teachers.
With a donation of €100, i.e. €34 after tax deduction, you help us, for example, to finance the construction of a new dormitory in Cambodia to house teachers who, like Kimsry, live too far away from the school; you help us to improve their living conditions and thus enable them to better carry out their job: providing quality education
For all these teachers, your donation can make a difference.
A big THANK YOU in advance for your support!
