Hello from rainy Cambodia!

Monsoon season is in full swing in Cambodia just now, but despite heavy rains and thunderstorms students still continue to attend school, some walking or cycling up to 10km each day in all weather conditions.

One of the storms was so bad that it uprooted a large tree near our kitchen. We had to cut down the tree for safety reasons, then some of the older students assisted teachers in turning the trunk into a new seating area on our grounds.
 

Extracurricular focus on gardening this semester.

In addition to learning Khmer, mathematics and English students have been focusing on gardening this semester. Teachers and students planted beautiful flowers around the grounds. Planting seeds, scooping dirt and watering plants all help to improve students’ motor skills, which can in term help to improve concentration and learning capabilities.

Upcoming end of Semester exams

October is the last month of the semester and when students sit end-of-semester exams. To date this academic year all students have been doing great. Grade 6 students will sit their secondary school exams. Some of these students have been with Shine since they started school in grade 1 and we are so proud to support them into secondary school and beyond!

Happy Pchum Ben Festival

Pchum Ben, also known as Ancestors’ Day or ‘Hungry Ghosts Festival’, is a 15-day Cambodian religious festival starting on Saturday 24th September. In Khmer, Pchum means ‘to gather together’ and Ben means ‘a ball of food’. This holiday is the most important festival in the Khmer religious calendar. It is a time for Cambodians to pay their respects to their ancestors of up to seven generations.

Happy Pchum Ben Day from all of us at Shine Cambodia

It’s almost October….So it’s time for Cross The Line for Shine
Cross The Line is Shine’s major annual fundraiser. Sign up to walk, run, dance, cycle or swim at whatever distance you want for 3 weeks raising much-needed funds to keep Shine Cambodia running for the next year.
Last year we raised almost AUD$60,000 which has helped educate 100 students, provide healthy lunches, buy school supplies, and provide community support.

Shine runs on donations, if you cannot commit to taking part in the Cross The Line challenge consider donating to help us reach our target to continue providing education and support for the next year. 
Click here to donate towards Cross The Line
We thank you for your continued support towards Shine Cambodia and are excited to share our journey with you !