A School Visit in Phnom Penh

Working in a shelter for girls (and a couple of boys) in Phnom Penh 10 years ago, I had the opportunity to attend some of the classes run on site, but also went along one day to check out the school where some of the kids went most days.

Standing out like any expat visitor would at such a place, I was swamped by the kids out in the school yard, and then invited in to a couple of the classrooms to have a peak.

A tiny, extra, window into the Khmer way of life.

Every girl deserves access to an education, it's a basic human right, and the start in life that will support her life, her family's life, and the lives of future generations.

These kids, without support from an external party like the shelter I worked in, struggle to access the opportunity we all take for granted.  Little bribes for school books, to have school work marked by the teacher, and even just to have the teacher show up, were common stories.

Some very familiar faces among these old photos - I wonder what they are up to now, all these years later...

This post is part of a series marking 10 years since I travelled to Cambodia to work as a volunteer.