Problem & Solution

Whilst living in Cambodia for 2 years, Suzanne bonded with Piseth over shared values, careers as teachers and a desire to change communities through education.

Having both endured dark times, they have experienced first-hand the power of education and how it changes the opportunities you have and shapes the life you create.

In April 2016, when Piseth reached out to Suzanne (now living in Melbourne) she couldn’t bear to hear that the local children’s project had closed down, leaving the children in a very vulnerable position. She had a vision in the night, it was ‘Shine’ and the next day it was born in a conversation on Facebook. Piseth and Suzanne would ‘create bright futures’ through a community project to give the children the opportunity they’d once been given.

In Melbourne, Suzanne saw a great desire and need for young people to know what it feels like to be altruistic, and to be physically involved in charitable work. Not to just be learning ABOUT it but to be DOING it.

Our Work in Cambodia

In Otres, the state school only opens for 2 – 3 hours a day. Only a few families can afford to send their children to private schools for the rest of the day. The remaining children are put to work, are left to play in the streets or are locked up at home whilst parents are working. Families are poor and cannot access alternative schooling. Children often ‘fail’ primary school tests each year and drop out before the age of 10; if they ever attended.

To address this, Shine provides supplementary education for the rest of the day. This gives poor and vulnerable households the chance to change their situation so they can work knowing their children are safe and are being education well enough to graduate to high school.

We offer:

  • Quality education to over 100 students each year, providing 720 hours of education to each child in Khmer, English, maths, science, sport, arts, morality, heath and hygiene.
  • Nutritious school lunches and clean water to children and families
  • Medical fund for families in need
  • Social workers and community support
  • Transportation to services for children and families

Addressing a Need

Many students are illiterate in their native language, Khmer, although they may be able to speak English. Cambodian people see English as important because it leads to work in the tourist industry. However, without literacy in Khmer, most careers are not an option.

The state school opens for 2 to 3 hours a day and only a few families can afford to send their children to private school in the afternoon. Even free public schools often incur costs for the uniform, equipment and tests which make it unattainable for a vast proportion of rural families.

To address this issue, Shine Cambodia provides supplementary education for 3 hours per afternoon and focuses on Khmer, English and other core skills. This gives poor vulnerable households the chance to send their children to school so they can learn and thrive, opening many more doors for them as they grow up.

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We need your help and can’t wait for you to join us on this incredible journey!