KNK Rotary - making a difference in Cambodia!
You will remember the $1000 grant our Club made to Anne Thomas for her literacy project in remote Ratanakiri Province in Cambodia. We were pleased to receive this report last week on her progress:
Hello from Ratanakiri,
I am just back from another visit to Kavet literacy classes (to distant hamlets this time) to see some of my backwoods scholars. Enroute to each of the villages or hamlets, I see students or teachers on the trails hurrying to classes before nightfall, as the 16 classes reach even the most far-flung hamlets. Again I was thrilled to see first hand the continuing success of the literacy program, especially since I have not been able to make village visits to this area since early 2011.
One of the hamlets is an additional 9 km (5.4 miles) on the narrowest of jungle trails beyond the farthest village site. The motorbike ride was breathtaking (i.e. I held my breath much of the way). There are vines and branches reaching out to try and pull you off the bike at ever turn. I have only done that track on foot or bicycle before.
Anne continues...
We did student testing, and gave out fragrant soap and salt to the top students. I tried to get pictures of them smelling the soap, but they were too shy and so I couldn't get photos in time. The soap is inexpensive, only 1$ for about 3 bars, but still that is too expensive for them (usually they use laundry detergent instead of soap or shampoo).
One little girl, aged 7, could read everything in Khmer Book 3, which is about third grade level. I couldn't believe how well she could read. But she can't write. I see from the photos (previous page) that at first she picked up a test paper, but then she decided to give it back without taking the test.
The lovely young lady teacher standing in her doorway has taken over teaching responsibilities in her hamlet of Rok Village. She is a graduate of literacy classes taught by her father, who is now busy as one of the village leaders. Thus she is not only a literacy project graduate, but also a second generation literacy teacher. The gourds hanging over her head are part of their system for protection against the evil spirits entering the doorway. I am standing with her students who are holding the soap and salt.
Seeing the success of the bilingual literacy classes in Ratanakiri, I am reminded that there is much to be encouraged about this Christmas - we held our first major teacher training for the bilingual literacy project on Christmas eve 2007. Some graduates from those classes are now teaching the new round of classes, while others (those who can manage the 2 hour commute each way by bicycle) have tested into grade 5 at the primary school in the district center.
I will write more in a newsletter, but here are a few of my favorite photos for now.
Anne
