Education Is The Key To Ending Poverty

-
Male Cambodian child sitting at desk with his pencil and notebook, smiling.

Lesson Time

Time to get serious. This is the entire reason the school exists. With education, these kids might get jobs away from their desolate lives, away from the doldrums of watching their siblings whilst their parents work in the rice fields, from a possible life of begging or worse. With knowledge of Khmer, English and some Math, these kids are well armed to break the poverty cycle.

Female Cambodian Child writes on the blackboard in Khmer

Teacher pointing to Khmer words on the blackboard and teacher cutting out a paper star in front of classroom


Teacher surrounded by four kindergarten children looking at his phone whilst they take a selfie
There are three full time teachers at Sangtawan School who are wholly committed to engaging these children. The children, in return, are eager to impress.

I witnessed the teachers as encompassing a happy combination of caring and fun but with the appropriate amount of firmness.
A young male Cambodian student writing his letters onto a personal blackboard at his desk

Young male Cambodian student listening intently for instructions as he holds his chalk and personal chalkboard

Khmer Written Language
I was struck by the beauty of the written Khmer language. It appears lyrical and romantic tinged with a semblance of ancientness. This is from Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Khmer text example. All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood

English Translation
“All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.”

 Flower shapes with English words in the middleEnglish Language Room
One of our teams projects for this visit was to create an English Room. A small room apart from the main classrooms where the kids can interact with their daily dose of English. 

 We were blessed to have two teachers on the visiting team ensuring this would be one of the best English rooms in Thailand. 

Young Cambodian Kindergarten boy washing his lunch dishes in a bowl of water on the ground before he can playPlaytime

The children are firstly encouraged to wash clean their own lunch boxes and cups. (I wish my kids would do this!)

After chores, the children are indulged with a little time to play around whilst the teachers ready themselves for the next activities.

We watched as they played their local games like jumping over legs adding height with feet and hands after each successful jump. We then taught them some of our own games like Ring-a-Rosy and Frisbee.
 Outside the schoolroom, the children play. This photo shows one boy standing and the others are blurred as they run around him.
Three young boys playing Frisbee outside the school in the yard.
Two girls sit on the ground opposite each other with their feet touching making a hurdle for the other girls to jump over


Next week
Stay tuned for more about our school visit in next week's post. Meet the team and take a look at life around the school.
Previous Posts on Thailand
If you want to catch up on previous posts, they are here:
. Part 1 of our visit to the school - HERE
. A look at life along the Canals in Bagkok - HERE
. Condoms, Hangover & Happiness - HERE

Thanks for stopping by. Feel free to share with your friends. Back to reality now...

About The Author
Photo of Nina Beilby. Sydney Australia. Photographer.
Nina Beilby is a professional photographer and photography educator based in Chatswood, Sydney, Australia. You can see more of her work at www.ninabeilby.com.au. 
Social Media:  Facebook |  Twitter  |  LinkedIn  |  Instagram
Thanks for visiting!

Comments

background remove said…
Yes you are right that education is the key to ending poverty. Besides study if we train students in some technical parts like clipping path service they can earn money by freelancing beside study. That way they can also remove poverty.
24 April 2019 at 14:15
Post a Comment

Don't Miss A Thing...

* indicates required

Previous Posts

Clown Doctors -The Children's Hospital, Westmead

-
Image
  My son was a patient at The Children's Hospital  at Westmead. First at 8 months of age when his kidney failed and then at 10 months when they removed it. It was a difficult time for us all.  Visiting again, this time as a volunteer photographer, I had to confront the crockpot of intense anxiety and other emotions that envelop you as a parent. But more revealing was having to face the children. The head hanging to their chest and pain glazed eyes, head tilted with a curious expression. "Why does this hurt mummy?" On this visit, however, the intensity was quickly dissolved by the pure joy brought to the faces of these young patients by the highly skilled and very funny clown doctors. What a wonderful gift! Whether finishing a round of chemotherapy or waiting for a kidney transplant, every child was able to find a smile for the clown doctors. Each bedside visit was pure delight. In addition, I witnessed momentary relief among the visitin...
Read more

Profile Portrait, Drama Therapy & Play time in The Studio

-
Image
Amanda is a Dramatherapist currently based in Sydney but shortly making the move to Darwin. She was in need of a profile portrait for her soon to be revamped website. At the end of the portrait session we decided that it was time for some Dramatherapy! Following success in the UK, USA & other countries, Dramatherapy supports people in connecting with the playful part of themselves in an environment free from judgement. Clients are invited to connect through movement, voice, improvisation, role, character and story meanwhile promoting therapeutic results in addition to psychological healing, insight , growth and well-being. Playing With Spirit specifically explores the connections between the Sesame Approach and the culture of the Indigenous Australian people so the move to Darwin will be entirely amazing for Amanda and look forward to hearing about her results... If you would like to contact Amanda, here website is Playing with Spirit .  Nina Beilby is ...
Read more

Vivid Chatswood 2015

-
Image
A few people have asked what Chatswood Vivid is like seeing that I live here so i thought I'd walk you through. The story begins at The Interchange. The Jellyfish Chandeliers and light display definitely make this the prettiest train station I have ever seen.  Look all around, even at your feet. There is a great light story happening as you walk. There are three levels you can get to, so try viewing from different angles.  If you get hungry, stop by The District on the top level. An upmarket food court serving wine as well as great food. Although the light displays are wonderful, it's the atmosphere that is vibrant!  Walk through The Mall and you will mix with a bustle of people meeting, mingling and having a great time. You will meet Norbert, The Nautilus and see The Aquarium on your way to The Concourse. Norbert The Concourse Head down to Chatswood Chase for a quick look at Lieutenant Angler.   You can get a bite her...
Read more

Sydney Harbour from Quay Restaurant

-
Image
Quay Restaurant is situated at the Ocean Liner terminal in Sydney Harbour. After dinner we went for a stroll upstairs and out onto the deck. The view is outstanding. I can understand why so many functions are held here. Old Sydney Town has some pretty buildings.
Read more

Cambodian kids bring tears of joy! - Our visit to a remote school in Thailand

-
Image
Steps With Hope Desperately in need of funds to continue their support of this little school in Thailand, Founder of  Steps With Hope , Jen Spoor, hosted a Mother's Day High Tea. After her presentation, I said to Jen, "if you want to make a bigger impact, you need better photos".   So that was that and I committed to visiting the school on their next trip.   Meet The Kids If you're like us, you will want to meet the kids right away. There are about 70 children currently attending the school with three classes starting at Kindergarten age.  These children come from poor Khmer families, remnants of a recovering population that has endured one of the darkest times times in its history.  Around 3 million people slaughtered and many more terrorized by the Khmer Rouge has left a devastated people still clawing its way back to normality.  Families reside in makeshift huts just over the border in Cambodia. The children walk across...
Read more

SWIM SQUAD PHOTOGRAPHY & INDIVIDUAL PORTRAITS

-
Image
The Team Photograph... Clubs large and small like the team image for their websites and to display at their pool because it demonstrates professionalism, unity and team spirit as in this example of the Oregon City Swim Team, USA . When you swim 6 to 9 times a week, 2 hours each time, your teammates become like family and that's why the kids love to get a print of the team as well. The Swim Portrait... Swim portraits are great because the kids get a chance to look dry and glamorous poolside instead of dripping wet for a change! Action Shots... ...then they can also do some cool action shots as well. Memory Mate Prints... ...or combine the two onto a memory mate print... You can view more images on my website . For more information, or to schedule your team shoot, you are welcome to call or email me anytime!
Read more

Super Poor Asians - Trip down the Canals of Bangkok

-
Image
Despite its recent industrialisation and newfound economic success, (now the 8th largest economy in Asia), there are still pockets of people living well below a standard of living that we would find acceptable. Yet, these are the most content and happy people I have seen. People going about their lives, day to day without complaint, yet, they have so little compared to us.  It really makes you stop and wonder about a world without materialism.  \ Many of the places appeared quite homely, decorated with plants and ornaments. Some took on a more eclectic, artistic approach with life sized statues, stained glass and other works of art. Not up to Code! Nestled amongst these, many of the homes were in disrepair. I don't think they'd be up to Council code here in Oz. River Life Thailand originally settled its capital on the Chao Phraya river because of its abundance of fish and wildlife. Now it is ...
Read more

Rustic Australian Countryside - The small town of Rylstone

-
Image
One of the Dam's looking toward Kandos  On the property, Lindoway looking back toward The Shed  It happened. A rare weekend when I wasn't shooting for a client! So I threw the camera in the car and headed three hours out of Sydney to  the Central Tablelands.  I visited a friend's property, Lindoway, in  Rylstone ,  a small town with a population of 615 people and at least 10 times that in sheep! View toward the town of Kandos There are 65 sheep on Lindoway and this is as close as I could get as they are quite skittish. The leader sheep lets out a massive Baa (he tried to sound scary but Baa still sounds cute to me) then they all take off.  Today is particularly warm 30 degrees celsius but it did cool considerably in the evening.  There don't seem to be any mosquitos but the flies certainly make up for it. The great Aussie salute probably originated here! So many flies... There are alway...
Read more

The Love Story Part 2 - He Is My Destiny

-
Image
He kept on in my thoughts. I wished him well on notable occasions, Christmas and New Year. He shared photos from Amsterdam and reported on his visit to the Klimt/Schiele exhibition that he saw before Christmas. I sent him the articles I'd written about my Cambodian trip. We each share about our respective visits to the theatre, and he expressed his excitement and anxiety about moving into a new apartment, his Brave New World. By February, I was still unable to get him out of my mind. I tried dating as a distraction. eHarmony, speed dating, Bumble, even Tinder! No sparks, not even a fizzle. I went out with one guy that seemed OK, but he wasn't happy when I commented how he seemed to be dating quite soon after his wife had died. It wasn't a judgement: I was interested. Needless to say, I didn't hear from him again. Self-sabotage? Maybe. I tried to absorb myself in my work and daily life. I took up teaching the Photography Diploma at TAFE in addition to running my corporat...
Read more