A Two-fold Mission
Kari’s upcoming trip to Cambodia to work at the Grady Grossman School, Jan. 23rd-Feb. 4th, 2007 has a two-fold mission. One is to determine educational improvement priorities for the coming year. I will be meeting with American Assistance for Cambodia to discuss the Computer Hub program. And I will be meeting with Arn Chorn Pond, of Cambodian Living Arts to discuss implementing a music, dance and art program. But my most important priority is to understand the reason we have such significant drop off of attendance at the fourth grade. As the children get older less show up to school because their parents need them to work. That leads me to my second mission, looking at sustainable economic development that would afford families the luxury of sending their kids to school.
To that end, I will be traveling with Andre Carvalhaes, a Brazilian biologist, whose Abundant Forest Enterprise aims to connect local knowledge of the forest with sustainable land use techniques, agro-forestry and perma-culture. We will be networking our community leaders with other conservation groups working on the forest issues and community empowerment in Cambodia, Community Forestry International, Flora and Fauna International and the Lutheran World Federation.
The most promising piece of information comes to us from the Legacy Foundation, which has developed a simple technology charcoal press that might give villagers a sustainable, income producing alternative to chopping down their forest for survival.
By partnering with family sponsorship programs such as those offered by No Child Left Out, more families may afford to allow their children to complete primary school through grade 6, and perhaps onward to secondary school. With that achievement in mind, we will definitely need a new building!
