Daily Meals

In a country where 32% of children are malnourished, families living in poverty often have to make the heart-wrenching choice between sending their children to school, or putting food on the table.

Our food programs work to alleviate some of that pressure and include daily meals for the +700 primary school students at our four rural schools to set them up for a day of learning; and food bank relief for the most fragile families.

Two of the rural schools we support currently receive monthly food rations consisting mainly of rice, oil, salt, and then a very small amount of meat and vegetables from World Food Program. These allocations are a defense against starvation rather than complete nutrition – meaning that they do not provide enough protein and nutrients to keep students well or establish a strong and healthy base for their growing bodies. To combat this issue, and because often this is students’ only complete meal of the day, we greatly supplement these rations with extra meat, fish, and veggies. World Food Program does not provide food to anyone except government schools and hospitals, so at PLF’s own two learning centers where we serve food, PLF provides these meals from scratch.

This commitment to providing complete daily nutrition translates immediately into improved wellness, fewer trips to the hospital, and skyrocketing school attendance. Simply put, full tummies mean healthier and happier students, and parents are no longer faced with that impossible, gut-wrenching decision.

Clean Water

We have major clean water actions in place at 4 rural schools we are supporting. Much of the groundwater in Cambodia is contaminated with E-Coli even as much as 20 meters deep, but fortunately the process of purifying this water is relatively simple. Each morning the teachers pump water up to a holding tank and then it is fed by gravity into ceramic filters which remove the E-Coli and any other organic contaminants such as viruses, bacteria, and sediment. The water filters through into a drinking tank for students and teachers to drink at school or bring home to support their families.

We encourage any member of the community to take clean water from school, as many Cambodians living in the countryside do not have access to such filters at their homes. We frequently see parents coming to school to haul home clean water and bathe young children, and this positive relationship helps to build interest and support from elder members in the village who might otherwise see no reason to show up to school.

Health

We have a trained school nurse at each school to provide basic first aid and prevent against infections and viruses. These nurses have been trained by medical professionals who have volunteered with PLF and provided various medical supplies for basic first aid. We keep a full stock of supplies ranging from bandages, eye drops, gentian violet and paracetamol to soap, brushes, toothbrushes and toothpaste in order to keep students clean and healthy.  When the school nurse finds students with serious ailments, they are taken to the Children’s Hospital for treatment and followup. We also coordinate with existing government programs to hold de-worming childhood vaccination clinics at all of the schools we support.

Because of the implementation of these basic wellness programs, we have seen a significant decrease in infections from minor cuts and bruises. PLF students come to school cleaner and with a basic knowledge of how to keep themselves healthy.

Sanitation

Installing proper sanitation facilities at the schools we support is especially important in a country where fewer than 1 in 3 Cambodians have access to bathrooms and handwashing facilities. However, sanitation is not only about having toilets at school but educating our students on the importance of using them. As you can imagine, the lack of access to sanitation facilities lays the groundwork for poor water quality and health in the countryside. Through workshops, lessons, and constant teacher support we work to build an understanding of how proper sanitation practices positively impact the community. Want to learn more? Check out this video made by one of our students about the lack of toilets in his village.

Hygiene

Forming proper personal hygiene routines at a young age is critical. Students arrive at school and wash their hands, brush their teeth after eating breakfast, and scrub fertilizer and other dirt off their legs from the walk to school.