Accueil 9 Areas of action 9 Social and family support

Social support reinforced  for students and their families

The students supported by the Bayon School through its various educational programs all come from very disadvantaged families living in the Angkor temple area. We strive to provide long-term support to these families to improve their living conditions and help them get out of poverty.

A difficult social situation in Cambodia and an increase in inequalities with a strong city / countryside divide

out of 189 countries. This is Cambodia’s HDI (Human Development Index) ranking, based on life expectancy, education and per capita income, with a score of 0.581. Despite a positive development after the civil war, a slowdown has been observed since the 2010s.

Source: United Nations Development Program, 2019.

%

Poor families live in rural areas.

Source: World Bank, 2014.

People remain poor and have incomes that put them at best just above the poverty line. Behind the figures actually hide a much harsher reality. Many families who have emerged from poverty remain in a very precarious situation. They are likely to fall back into poverty if the economic situation deteriorates or if external shocks occur, such as the COVID-19 crisis.

Source: World Bank, 2014.

Our vision: a strict student recruitment process based on social and motivational criteria

Students in primary school, and who will then continue in secondary school, are recruited by the social team. They are selected according to the socio-economic situation of their families to favor the most disadvantaged. They live around the primary school, so they can come every day. Families should also show their motivation to enroll their children in the Bayon School to ensure student presenteeism.

Once a student is enrolled in the Bayon School, his family is met at least annually until the end of his studies; to follow the evolution of his social and economic situation and identify possible difficulties.

The students of our one-year professional pastry / bakery training are also selected on socio-economic criteria. They take tests to assess their academic level and have an interview to ensure their motivation. They inhabit the provinces surrounding Siem Reap, often in the remote countryside, up to a 3-4 hour drive from the city.

    Our beneficiaries: very disadvantaged families, deeply rooted in poverty, with precarious living conditions and a limited level of education

    Nearly 300 families are supported by the Bayon School through its various programs. The vast majority of families have between 2 and 4 children, but about a quarter have 5 or more. Parents work mainly in the tourism sector (hotels, restaurants or sales to tourists), construction or agriculture. Many have unstable jobs, paid by the day or by the week. Finally, few parents have finished high school.

    The poorest families (around a third) live in houses made mostly of palm leaves with a wooden structure. As they enrich themselves, they strengthen their homes with wood, sheet metal, and even bricks.

    A significant proportion of our students, around 10%, are orphans and live either with relatives or in pagodas.

    Our desire: To provide families with additional support for our educational mission

    The Bayon School goes beyond the social support of its direct beneficiaries (students) and also helps their families. Several support programs exist.

    Food

    First of all, the Bayon School works with families on the food side. We support a few families in extreme poverty over the long term by providing them with rice on a monthly basis. In emergency situations, as was the case during the COVID-19 crisis, we support more families, focusing on those most affected by the crisis. In addition to rice, during this particular period, we also organized a weekly distribution of vegetables, the latter coming from organic gardens set up with certain families of students attending the Ecole du Bayon.

    Hygiene & health

    Then, the association helps certain serious medical cases that the social team and / or the health team identify. These patients are supported in their care pathways, in particular by our medical referent and our nurse: carrying out examinations, monitoring medical visits, distribution and compliance with any treatment, etc.

    We also want to extend our hygiene and health program to families by carrying out numerous actions.

    EMPLOYMENT

    Finally, the Bayon School acts in the field of employment, either through counseling families to help them find work or directly through NGO projects:

    • Some employees of the Bayon School come from families initially supported by the association
    • Thanks to the vegetable garden project, 11 women found a job and generate additional income for their families.
    • The uniforms of the primary school students are sewn each year by three moms of the school students, which gives them additional income for four months of work.

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