The SAFE Foundation
SUPPLEMENTARY SCHOOL PROGRAMME
Siemreab in Cambodia is a province well known for its beautiful scenery, historic culture and thriving tourist industry. Most tourists flock to the main city, Siem Reap to use as a base from which to explore the wider area.
However, for local people the beautiful external story hides deeper troubles. Multi-dimensional poverty issues affect the indigenous people of both the city and more rural areas, complicated by the tourist industry which has driven up prices of produce and trade for local people.
The mismanagement of tourist volunteer programmes by some external NGO’s has complicated community responses to poverty issues and had a detrimental effect on local ability to develop economically and socially in accord with their indigenous ideas and culture.
The SAFE Foundation, in partnership with local community groups and local Cambodian charities have begun to address some of the issues that affect the people of Siemreab which include health, education, trade capability, livelihood opportunity and climate change. Together with local people the SAFE Foundation aim to improve the level of education on these topics so that people can focus their lives on progressive development through positive change and productive attitudes.
Our partners have introduced supplementary schools in rural villages that will educate children who have to work in the fields for their parents instead of attended mainstream school.
The SAFE Foundation have started a teacher training programme for local Khmer volunteers teachers so that the small rural communities do not have to rely on the tourist volunteer system for this purpose. These local teachers will run the supplementary schools and deliver a culturally sensitive and exciting curriculum.
The SAFE Foundation are also improving the resources available to these supplementary schools to aid the delivery of the curriculum and to maximise the learning opportunities of over 800 children.
Our local partners have requested a SAFE volunteer scheme be implemented in the future to increase manpower in other areas of village life and which would support programmes designed by local people and subject to The SAFE Foundations cultural sensitivity training package.
