In a quiet suburb of Phnom Penh, former primary school teacher Samphy, 72, is seated at her dining table. She reminds us that it was only 40 years ago that an estimated two million people perished under the regime of the Khmer Rouge, orchestrated by the Marxist nationalist dictator Pol Pot.
Many in Cambodia who were displaced to the countryside during the regime returned to the cities in search of better economic opportunities and to rebuild their lives. Illiteracy prevents many from finding secure work. Without land, many set up home in poor urban settlements.
“Targeting the provision and protection of education helps the most marginalised children realise their rights, enriches their wellbeing and improves their futures,” Dr Mary Joy Pigozzi, executive director of Educate A Child (EAC) a global programme of Education Above All Foundation (EAA), explains. “This is especially important in countries like Cambodia, where rebuilding strong education systems post-conflict is a long and difficult process.”
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