| Cambodia Corps, Inc. (CCi) September 26, 2007 |
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| Paupers to Champions an innovative concept for homeless children in developing countries |
| Certainly
not
in Cambodia and
perhaps the world is there a program like ours. In industrialized nations homeless children are institutionalized, treated as welfare burdens, and as young adults matriculate back into society hopefully as well adjusted and productive citizens. The international aid and development community utilizes the same model in developing countries but focuses almost exclusively on rehabilitating "street children" in the large metropolitan centers. The majority of these children migrated from rural areas in search of food and work and became petty criminals and/or fell victim to drugs and sexual abuse. There's definitely a need for these programs however they miss a grand opportunity and there's no effort to achieve a return on investment for the enormous cost involved; moreover they're reactive rather than preventative. Our program differs vastly. Firstly, we don't view homeless children as welfare burdens instead they're valuable sources of human capital. Some are orphans while most are simply the oldest of several children whose parents could no longer afford to feed them; beyond malnourishment they're mentally and physically quite normal. Rescued before they end up on the mean streets of the country's capital or abducted by traffickers, three to four can be raised and provided with secondary education for the cost of rehabilitating one street child. Acutely aware their only hope for the future is education, they're incredibly eager to learn. As the offspring of the most marginalized elements of their societies, many also have a strong desire to have mattered and are highly motivated to effect change. Secondly, our program yields a return on investment. Rather than merely providing a caring environment and facilitating formal education, we're preparing our youngsters to address the greatest issues confronting their people. During their secondary school years at the child's shelter in Mondolkiri Province, they receive an informal curriculum in human and gender rights, democratic governance and the electoral process, land law, cultural and environmental preservation, and public health. We also supplement their formal education with a tutoring program in their toughest subjects: math, physics, biology, and English. Successively, they also learn keyboarding and basic computer skills which are not available in government schools. The university scholarship program enables our shelter secondary school graduates to attend colleges in Phnom Penh but only in majors which address the development needs of Mondolkiri. As they graduate they're matched to NGO (Non Government Organization - non profits such as ours), private sector, or government jobs of the greatest benefit to the rural dwelling Montagnards. Although contractually they're required to serve in Mondolkiri two years for each year of higher education we provide, in reality the obligation is overkill. As ethnic minority and rural youngsters they don't wish to work anywhere else. In addition, the focus of international development assistance in Cambodia has finally shifted from the large metro areas of the Central Plains to the frontier provinces. One of the most remote and impoverished is Mondolkiri the population of which is 80% ethnic minority Montagnard. The number of NGO's is increasing in Mondolkiri and those jobs are the most stable and highest paying in the country. Demand for Montagnards with university degrees is growing dramatically and our students are the only ones who can fill those voids. There's also a push factor which discourages our university graduates from remaining in Phnom Penh. Statistics vary but for every 20 to 47 graduates there's only one job vacancy in Phnom Penh which requires a degree. Hence salaries for those lucky enough to land one are extremely low and promotions slow. Otherwise our Montagnard college students are native speakers in both Khmer and their tribal language plus they're proficient in English. The trilingual capability alone is sufficient to earn an attractive living in Mondolkiri since it eliminates the need for two interpreters and ensures more accurate translations. |