Welcome to the Bayon family !

by | 10 Apr 2024 | Agroecology training, Bakery and pastry school, Coffee Shop, General education, Primary school

Marie returns : Agroecology expertise for new horizons

Back in France to complete her studies after a year spent at the Agroecology School, Marie returns to us with her agronomy engineering diploma in hand, specializing in agroecology. Drawing on this experience, she brings a holistic approach to agricultural development, enriched by a network of agroecology players in Southeast Asia that she has built up through her travels and encounters.

A true enthusiast, Marie loves to pass on her knowledge of agroecology. She does this enthusiastically through participatory workshops, study tours, experiments and demonstrations, as well as various communication media. We look forward to sharing with you the many projects she is planning for the coming months!

Welcome back Marie ! 

 

After working for an organic certification body in Latin America, Juliette is continuing her exploration of the world of agroecology by joining us in Cambodia.

With a degree in agri-food engineering, Juliette began her career working for major agri-food groups. In search of a mission combining agroecology and social commitment, she wanted to participate in a sustainable, healthy and safe food system for consumers. That’s how she came to join the Bayon School family.

Agroecology quickly became an obvious choice for her. Juliette works with us to develop local, healthy and safe food products for the elementary school canteen and our solidarity coffee shop.

From producer to consumer, she aims to control food safety.

A warm welcome to Juliette!

Jean Pierre & Michèle

Jean Pierre & Michèle

by | 10 Apr 2024 | Agroecology training, Bakery and pastry school, General education, Health, hygiene and food, Primary school, Social and families support

Michèle, an executive at Danone Eaux (Evian), discovered the Bayon School when it was created in 1997 by Marcel Bertaud, Director of Danone Japan and co-founder of the Bayon, with whom she works. In 2006, Michèle and her husband Jean-Pierre, a doctor by profession, came to Siem Reap with Marcel Bertaud to visit the Bayon School. It was an unforgettable experience, as close as possible to our beneficiaries.

In 2016, they decided to invest in the Bayon School by supporting the education and health of young people. Touched by our pupils, sensitive to the need to ensure their long-term quality education, and aware that good health is an essential condition for their development, Jean-Pierre became the NGO’s medical referent, assisted by Michèle. The Bayon School has become like a second home for them. In Siem Reap 6 months a year, they take care of the annual medical check-up of all our beneficiaries, namely :

  • 184 elementary school pupils
  • 20 female pastry-making students
  • 20 agroecology students
  • The program team

The health and well-being of individuals are fundamental to their personal development and their ability to lead active, productive lives. As part of our mission within the organization, we have undertaken a series of actions to promote health and provide social assistance to those in need. This report details our efforts in these areas over the recent period.

Health

The introduction of health check-ups for all students and beneficiaries is one of the pillars of Jean-Pierre’s health initiatives for the Bayon school. This initiative aims to detect potential health problems at an early stage and provide the necessary interventions to ensure students’ well-being. He has been running a dental follow-up program for all students for several years. It has also provided complex medical follow-up for several students with specific health conditions:

  • Colostomy for an elementary school pupil
  • Medical care for an agro-ecology school pupil suffering from a spinal injury following a traffic accident
  • Medical care for a student from the pastry school with a leg injury requiring surgery
  • Medical care for a university student suffering from tuberculosis

Thanks to its network of competent doctors built up over the years, it is able to offer comprehensive medical care and recommendations tailored to each individual case.

 

Social

In parallel with their healthcare initiatives, Jean-Pierre and Michèle conducted an in-depth survey of the needs of the students’ families. Working with our social team, in particular Romain, they identified the challenges these families face and implemented concrete solutions. Among notable achievements, they facilitated the installation of sand filters and latrines for 160 families, improving their living conditions and environmental health. In addition, they assisted social workers to strengthen their skills in responding to families’ needs in an emphatic way.

Administrative management

As part of their activities, Jean-Pierre and Michèle also collaborated on the implementation of the “Team Desk” management tool, which facilitates the coordination and monitoring of our actions (social, educational, health). This platform enables us to manage our resources efficiently and ensure better communication within our organization.

Specific intervention: “Run Ta Ek

Jean-Pierre and Michèle know our families well and visit our students’ villages every year. Deeply concerned by the recent displacement of several families in Run Ta Ek, they decided to monitor the families’ conditions of displacement, in order to assess with the NGO’s social teams their needs and provide the necessary solutions in terms of housing, health, social and educational support.

The aim was to help them achieve sustainable autonomy by strengthening their resilience and providing them with the resources they needed to improve their quality of life. Thanks to this work, the École du Bayon teams, together with Jean-Pierre and Michèle, identified the help these “former” families needed (assessment of assistance, identification of partners, action plan and budget). All this was done with the aim of giving the students and their families the means to get out of this precarious situation, an essential anchor to be able to study in good conditions and give birth or rebirth to their future projects.

  • Every 6 months, we come back to the Bayon School to help out – it’s an addiction we’re not trying to cure.
  • Our involvement is amply rewarded by the smiles of the families and the joie de vivre of the pupils.

Michèle and Jean Pierre

A week dedicated to the art of pastry with the visit of Chef Fabrice Prochasson!

A week dedicated to the art of pastry with the visit of Chef Fabrice Prochasson!

by | 26 Dec 2023 | Bakery and pastry school, Coffee Shop

From December 11 to 18, the Pastry School had the privilege of once again welcoming Chef Fabrice Prochasson, sponsor of the 2023 class of students.

Fabrice Prochasson, Meilleur Ouvrier de France in 1993 and Director of innovation and partnerships at Coup de Pates (www.coupdepates.fr), supports the school each year by training our 20 students and our teaching teams for a week in techniques exceptional in the profession.

This week took place with three major events: the creation of the lemon pistachio flavored Christmas log, the graduation of the students from the Pastry School, and a cocktail at the end of the week entitled “Sweet Celebration: A Culinary Showcase of Macaron Spirit.”

Tang Meanrith and bayon school
orientation event bayon school
pastry school orientation

The lemon pistachio flavored log is a solidarity recipe imagined by Fabrice Prochasson, co-signed with Sokhoeurn Morn, pastry chef at the Pastry School. This week was an opportunity to perfect it with the students in order to offer it for sale for the end of year celebrations at the Coffee Shop. Good news, if you are in France, you will also have the opportunity to taste it, because “Coup de Pates” will also market it.

Tang Meanrith and bayon school
orientation event bayon school
pastry school orientation

In the middle of the week, the 20 students were awarded not one, but two diplomas! The first delivered by Chef Fabrice Prochasson to congratulate the young girls for their professional work and their diligence. The second diploma was awarded by TDSO, an association which trained our students in learning the English language.

Tang Meanrith and bayon school
orientation event bayon school
pastry school orientation

In order to present the work carried out during this week, we organized a cocktail at the end of the week, “Sweet Celebration: A Culinary Showcase of Macaron Spirit”, in the presence of our partners, clients and friends of the Bayon school. Our guests were able to enjoy original macaroon recipes, savory canapes and the famous lemon pistachio log, all in a very pleasant atmosphere in the Coffee Shop garden.

First edition of the Bayon Pastry Short Courses: A success to enjoy!

First edition of the Bayon Pastry Short Courses: A success to enjoy!

by | 24 Aug 2023 | Bakery and pastry school

Dear Friends and Food Lovers,

It is with great joy that we share with you the delectable and memorable moments of the first edition of the Bayon Pastry Courses.
Throughout the month of June, our school opened its doors wide to welcome eight passionate participants. At the heart of this culinary adventure, succulent fruit pies, exquisite toppings, creamy pastry creams, as well as divinely delicious cookies and cakes, were the stars of six gourmet Saturdays.

Expertly guided by Sokhoeurn, our dedicated pastry school director, and Sreynoeng, our energetic junior instructor, each participant was immersed in the fascinating world of pastry. Our professional laboratory has been transformed into a space of discovery and creativity where each gesture, each mixture and each taste are harmoniously blended.

cours de patisserie cambodge
cours de patisserie bayon
bayon patisserie

However, the success of these courses does not stop at the acquisition of culinary skills. Each registration contributes significantly to the support of training for our students within the pastry school. Thus, each delicacy savored in class becomes a concrete step towards the autonomy and education of our future pastry chefs.

The warm and enthusiastic feedback from our participants is living proof of the impact of this experience. Sopheak, one of the participants, shares her feelings.

The courses opened the doors to an exciting universe for me. Not only did I learn pastry techniques, but I also found a community of enthusiasts. Knowing that our commitment directly supports the students of the pastry school is a source of pride.

The courses opened the doors to an exciting universe for me. Not only did I learn pastry techniques, but I also found a community of enthusiasts. Knowing that our commitment directly supports the students of the pastry school is a source of pride.

The first edition of the Bayon Pastry Courses created a momentum that continues to grow. We express our deepest gratitude to everyone who has contributed to this success, as your support goes beyond the classroom and directly touches the lives and education of our future pastry chefs.

In conclusion, we would like to warmly thank all the participants and pastry lovers who made this first edition unforgettable. We invite you to join our mission, to share the passion for pastry and to invest in the education of future generations.

With infinite gratitude and greedy anticipation of what is to come,

The Bayon Pastry Course team

A look back at the annual meeting of former students: an unbreakable link with the School of Pastry and Agroecology

A look back at the annual meeting of former students: an unbreakable link with the School of Pastry and Agroecology

by | 24 Aug 2023 | Agroecology training, Bakery and pastry school

At the beginning of July, a milestone event brought together former students, a vibrant symbol of the vitality and sustainability of our School of Pastry and Agroecology.

The annual meeting of alumni brought together an impressive participation of more than a hundred graduates from the eight previous promotions. For many of them, this gathering involved a trip from Phnom Penh, testifying to the continued commitment and the unbreakable bond that our alumni have with our institution.

The days of the meeting were punctuated by a variety of stimulating activities, from team-building sessions to convivial games, through the sharing of moving testimonies and moments of conviviality.

This event offered a privileged opportunity for our former students to dialogue with the current promotion, to reconnect with their teachers and to rediscover the warm atmosphere of the school which trained them.

annual meeting bayon school
team building bayon school
alumnis annual meeting bayon school

As part of this exceptional meeting, we conducted interviews with 102 graduates of the École de Pâtisserie, covering the period from 2014 to the present day. The results of these interviews are instructive. Indeed, 62% of graduates continue to work in their initial field of training, and a comfortable majority of 86% receive a sufficient salary to cover their daily needs.

These figures underline the effectiveness of our educational program and the relevance of the training provided. Moreover, the positive feeling of former students is reflected in the statistics, with 79% of them expressing their satisfaction with their training. Even more remarkable, 62% have moved into professional positions that truly fulfill them personally and professionally.

This annual meeting demonstrated that our school continues to inspire, guide and contribute significantly to the professional growth of our graduates. We are proud of our alumni community and look forward to continuing to share their exemplary journey with future generations.

Art worshops in Bayon schools!

Art worshops in Bayon schools!

by | 19 Apr 2023 | Bakery and pastry school, General education, Primary school

We had the great pleasure to welcome Gilles in March, along with his friend Nathalie, for art and creation workshops in our primary school and pastry and bakery school.

Gilles, a young retiree, is passionate about art, especially wood and metal sculpture. As he says so well, “I hurt the metal so that it lives”. Gilles and Nathalie have worked with our students on several art projects.

First of all, at the primary school, the wall of Elodie’s canteen was decorated with fruits and vegetables as well as numbers in Khmer and English. This project was discussed with Vantha, the school director, who wanted to enrich the wall with educational and pedagogical elements. The students can now practice both languages. This project was carried out with students from Grade 1 to 6.

A mural with a natural decor was also created with the help of the school’s pedagogical team who were inspired by the nature present in Cambodia and around the school such as geckos, a beehive, birds, flowers…

The playground of our students was also redesigned, two new structures were created from rubber tires. The students dug the ground to be able to attach the tires in order to create a course as well as 2 racing cars. They then painted these new cars in the colors of Cambodia!

In addition, in the pastry and bakery school art projects took place around the use of wood. The students worked on what pastry and bakery represented for them. Then, they drew their representations on wooden logs and made engravings using a pyrography machine. Afterwards, these creations were assembled to create a composition in the garden of our Coffee Shop.

The students let their creativity run wild and painted our pond with a “nature” theme. They had fun painting water lilies, flowers, fish and turtles.

In a perspective of renovation and improvement of our visibility, the wall that borders the street leading to our Coffee Shop needed a good refreshment. To do so, the students and the pedagogical team of the pastry and bakery school cleaned the wall and then repainted it in the school’s colors! We decided to add a little fantasy by illustrating some of the pastries and drinks offered on the menu of our Coffee Shop.

Art workshop pastry students

For Gilles, sharing with students is always an unforgettable moment. As Charlie Chaplin said, “Children have talent, it’s just a matter of showing it”. These workshops have allowed our students to express their creativity and talents. They are now proud to see their creations displayed in their respective schools. Bayon School aspires to further develop these extra-curricular activities with the aim of stimulating curiosity and developing their ability to imagine and interact.

Once again, we would like to thank Gilles and Nathalie for their time, support and investment at our side. We look forward to seeing you next year for new projects!

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