THE HAPPY CHANDARA SCHOOL

THE SCHOOL

Today the school, situated 12km from the Cambodia capital of Phnom Penh, welcomes more than 1,300 students. 100 new girls are registered each year. They will be accompanied by Toutes à l’école throughout their entire education and their university or professional training, up until their first job.

From its beginnings as a simple primary school, Happy Chandara has become a campus with a primary school, secondary school, college, boarding school, and medical and social facilities. In September 2018, a hostel was opened in Phnom Penh to welcome the first graduates who are now pursuing higher education.

A school of permaculture has also opened to educate locals about healthy practices in order to limit the use of pesticides.

Due to the site becoming to small, and that students were far from their universities, Happy Chandara has opened 2 hostels in Phnom Penh (in 2018 and 2020) for the students in higher education.

The school

Today the school, situated 12km from the Cambodia capital of Phnom Penh, welcomes more than 1,300 students. 100 new girls are registered each year. They will be accompanied by Toutes à l’école throughout their entire education and their university or professional training, up until their first job.

From its beginnings as a simple primary school, Happy Chandara has become a campus with a primary school, secondary school, college, boarding school, and medical and social facilities. In September 2018, a hostel was opened in Phnom Penh to welcome the first graduates who are now pursuing higher education.

A school of permaculture has also opened to educate locals about healthy practices in order to limit the use of pesticides.

Due to the site becoming to small, and that students were far from their universities, Happy Chandara has opened 2 hostels in Phnom Penh (in 2018 and 2020) for the students in higher education.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Every year, in the month of May, the registration of prospective students occurs, and the selection criteria is very precise. The girls with the poorest families are prioritised, where their monthly income is less than $150. Their remoteness, living conditions, access to water and electricity etc. also play a role in the decision. For each child the team of social workers visit the family and assess the individual situation before making a decision. The Happy Chandara School is situated in a rural location and therefore for the practical reasons of access and transport, students must live within a 15km radius of the school.

Selection criteria

Every year, in the month of May, the registration of prospective students occurs, and the selection criteria is very precise.

The girls with the poorest families are prioritised, where their monthly income is less than $150. Their remoteness, living conditions, access to water and electricity etc. also play a role in the decision.

For each child the team of social workers visit the family and assess the individual situation before making a decision.

The Happy Chandara School is situated in a rural location and therefore for the practical reasons of access and transport, students must live within a 15km radius of the school.

Health

On the Happy Chandara campus, Toutes à l’école provides not only an education, but also medical assistance to young students who have never been to the dentist, and who often have not been vaccinated against certain illnesses.

One of the key axes of Toutes à l’école’s health program is vaccination, an essential in Cambodia where one in eight children die before the age of 5.

Each year when children return to school, the school pediatrician creates a medical record for the students then puts in place, with the agreement of the local authority and parents, a vaccination campaign. All students receive the vaccine against hepatitis B – a prevalent virus in Cambodia – but also against tetanus and polio. Eye tests are also administered.

Due to the often precarious situation of their families, many of our students begin their first year suffering from malnutrition or intestinal parasites. This is therefore one of Toutes à l’école’s main focuses, and attention is particularly focused on nutrition. The school distributes snacks for both the morning and afternoon breaks, and prepares balanced meals with fresh ingredients. The girls have a good appetite and the cooks are pleased! The school has its own garden, and the fruits and vegetables from this permaculture contribute to a healthy and balanced diet.

Health

On the Happy Chandara campus, Toutes à l’école provides not only an education, but also medical assistance to young students who have never been to the dentist, and who often have not been vaccinated against certain illnesses.

One of the key axes of Toutes à l’école’s health program is vaccination, an essential in Cambodia where one in eight children die before the age of 5.

Each year when children return to school, the school pediatrician creates a medical record for the students then puts in place, with the agreement of the local authority and parents, a vaccination campaign. All students receive the vaccine against hepatitis B – a prevalent virus in Cambodia – but also against tetanus and polio. Eye tests are also administered.

Due to the often precarious situation of their families, many of our students begin their first year suffering from malnutrition or intestinal parasites. This is therefore one of Toutes à l’école’s main focuses, and attention is particularly focused on nutrition.

The school distributes snacks for both the morning and afternoon breaks, and prepares balanced meals with fresh ingredients. The girls have a good appetite and the cooks are pleased!

The school has its own garden, and the fruits and vegetables from this permaculture contribute to a healthy and balanced diet.

THE HAPPY CHANDARA TEAM

GILBERT PALAORO_resized

GILBERT PALAORO

DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS

“My journey brought me to Toutes à l’école after 20 years spent in south-east asia in the education sector. The turn of the century led me to the extraordinary discovery of this region of the world and introduced me to its different cultures. The doctoral studies in economics, the rich experiences shared with NGOs, and all the teachers totally convinced me of the importance of educational development. It is therefore logical and with a lot of honor and humility that I am now totally involved in this magnificent project with “Happy Chandara School” which allows young girls to escape poverty by playing an active role and driving force for the benefit of their families and for Cambodia.”
SEREIVOUTH TIENG_resized

SEREIVOUTH TIENG​

DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION

A former maths professor and head of the Continuing Education Teaching Office of the Cambodian Ministry of National Education, Sereivouth took up her post as Director of our school in 2006. Highly involved in her work and with great rigor, she has turned her mission at Happy Chandara into a real passion. As a former Khmer Rouge victim, she is convinced that rebuilding her country will require education, and says: “given the potential of the students and their willingness to learn, I know that many of them will occupy important positions in Cambodia’s future, and will help others to break out of the circle of poverty”

HELP FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Happy Chandara doesn’t want to alienate its students from their background, therefore the school also supports public schools. These public schools operate part-time with staffing problems in difficult learning conditions and with a critical shortage of materials. The help that Toutes à l’école brings is of a mostly material nature: school supplies, bicycle helmets, installation of toilets and renovation of libraries and classrooms are offered to surrounding schools according to their needs. Additionally, with Toutes à l’école’s goal for the students to participate actively in the reconstruction of the country, some of them regularly go to neighboring schools to read to other students.

HELP FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Happy Chandara doesn’t want to alienate its students from their background, therefore the school also supports public schools.

These public schools operate part-time with staffing problems in difficult learning conditions and with a critical shortage of materials.

The help that Toutes à l’école brings is of a mostly material nature: school supplies, bicycle helmets, installation of toilets and renovation of libraries and classrooms are offered to surrounding schools according to their needs.

Additionally, with Toutes à l’école’s goal for the students to participate actively in the reconstruction of the country, some of them regularly go to neighboring schools to read to other students.

HELP FOR BOYS

While Toutes à l’école focuses on the education of girls, the charity does not want to abandon the boys, and rather wants to ensure equal opportunities for siblings in terms of learning and academic success.

190 boys from the village have therefore been taking support courses in Khmer and maths for several years, as well as computer courses on Wednesdays and Saturdays on the Happy Chandara campus.

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