Our Man in Cambodia

Our Man in Cambodia: Day 28 – March 4^th

We are hot and happy in Battambang.

We had lunch with Juan and Hannah today.

It feels unlikely for me to be granting a 27 year old whom we only met recently such a sway over our time here but he greatly impressed us in the UK before we left.   It is part of the experiment of this time that he is our man in Cambodia and his cause is largely our cause.  So we were relieved to find him here the same calm, kind, capable and charismatic young man that we had met in the UK.  With, incidentally, the beard, pony tail and savoir faire of a middle class university educated London bred back-packer. He has spent much of the last 8 years travelling and working in various Asian and African NGOs.

He has set himself a lot to do in Cambodia and with his artist girlfriend, Hannah has been based here for the last three years.  His (and Hannah's) first complaint though was very familiar; the difficulty they have had recovering from the Christmas Tree season in London.  I like to hear that others  too find this job as hard as I did.  “I’m only just now feeling myself again” he said.  It makes me feel less precious for giving it up.

Earnestness alert - hope you can stick with it as in the absence of power point and without notes I attempt to summarise Juan's work as received by me so far.  Forgive me Juan if I get it wrong on the first pass.

The central thread is the creation of self-sufficient schools providing basic English language education and life skills to the disenfranchised of Cambodia.  In essence an alternative education system for the poor.

It arises from AHHA an educational program established by Dr Madenjit Singh in Malaysia and Timor and with whom the central figures in Juan’s organisation and Juan himself spent some years before setting up independently in Cambodia.

The organisation Juan is part of consists of three self-funding components each democratically managed but pivoting on the central figures (Juan, Friendly, Sova (sp?), Mankind and a couple of others) with their shared AHHA past.  These components are linked by a common bond of friendship, experience and philosophy. They are currently HDLF, FEFA and B-Expert (I forget what they abbreviate) but Juan would like to brand them all under an umbrella identity that has yet to be established. 

Juan describes two models of school. Both operate entirely outside a “broken” state system and in both he claims that the preparation the students receive is so superior to that available elsewhere that his students are guaranteed employment; either in a network of partner employers or elsewhere after matriculation.  An important path beyond graduation from his schools is to come back as a teacher and then be supported in return through a part-time university education.

The Schools

Part time or day schools – There are three of these established by Juan and Mankind his partner, which are running successfully and a fourth is being constructed at the moment.  There are also others. They are in areas served well by transport and reasonably (by local standards) affluent.  Here the students study the AHHA program and live at home.  They pay an affordable fee but the schools are able to generate revenue that funds the creation of new day schools.

Boarding Schools – Setting these up is seen as the most important goal of Juan’s project. They offer an education to students who live in areas so remote that none would be available locally.  In Juan’s model these schools are virtually free to the students and are funded by student inclusive commercial activity eg importing herbs, organic agriculture.

The schools are built and run by the communities they serve and by Juan’s partners and by the volunteers they welcome.  English speaking volunteers are especially welcome as they effectively underpin the English medium curriculum.  Donations are accepted for capital building costs but it is central that the schools must be able to fund and manage themselves before the institution is complete.  It is recently acknowledged that the boarding schools have a very challenging funding model and need support from the revenue the day schools can generate.

So Juan describes his venture.

We have visited a boarding school and it is an inspiring and realistic place.  The classes and students were engaging. The Principal, “Friendly” is an impressive and credible Cambodian lady.  With her husband, Sova (sp?) they are part of two day schools but have recurring funding problems and are keen to develop other income sources. They are engaged immediately in a fruit tree initiative and in student recruitment for the next term. They have just cleared a pond so they can grow their own fish.  They have long term plans and with Juan have recently acquired land for farming their own rice and possibly some kind of eco-resort. We are looking forward to going back soon.

 So far so earnest!

 https://www.gofundme.com/zy4af-help-build-a-school-in-cambodia