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School and Kindergarten

SGC HISF | EDUCATION CAMPUS finally open again

The Covid pandemic and its effects have now lasted much longer than anyone had hoped for at the beginning of the crisis, and the situation in Cambodia has continued to deteriorate in 2021. At our school, it’s been a difficult year as well. With only a few brief interruptions, schools nationwide had to remain closed for most of the year, as required by the government.
Thanks to our great and dedicated school team on campus, the students were provided with food and learning materials at all times. All faculty were on site teaching both whole classes and individual students online. The Online & Distance Support Program continued in an enhanced and expanded format that included learning progress reviews and regular feedback from all stakeholders.

Kids who are hungry can’t learn.»

Barbara Beaufait, Director, SGC HISF | Education Campus
But all this, of course, did not replace the normal school day with lessons, friends, school meals and regular hygienic as well as medical care for the children. Therefore, we are even more pleased that we were able to welcome the children back to normal school lessons in our school on 1st November.
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Due to the delays and restrictions caused by the pandemic, the school year 2020/2021 took place with the same children as in the previous year. In the spring of 2021, the selection of subsequent children for preschool and kindergarten could take place. After the admission of 100 new students, the current school year has a total of more than 400 children benefitting from a good education, but also from regular nutritious meals and hygienic and medical care. In the 2021/2022 school year, we have 18 classes in the Education Campus from nursery to 5th grade.

«Education is our passport to a brighter future, because tomorrow belongs to the people who prepare for it today.»

Barbara Beaufait, Director, SGC HISF | Education Campus
Despite all the difficulties caused by the pandemic and the extended lockdown periods, we are very proud of the great progress our children have made even in the last year. They are bright and inquisitive without exception. In addition, they are unique and each in their own way creative, fun and smart. And last but not least, they are respectful and very grateful – they are the hope of Cambodia and the chance for a better future.

«We invest significantly in qualified teaching through local and foreign staff, as well as quality meals and medical care.»

Barbara Beaufait, Director, SGC HISF | Education Campus

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Humanitarian Emergency Aid

CORONA VIDEO BLOG – 08.04.2021 – HANNES SCHMID

The situation has not improved; quite the contrary. In order to alleviate the acute situation, Smiling Gecko has been providing emergency humanitarian aid since the beginning of the Corona crisis in March 2020, supporting more than 400 families with over 2,400 family members in the area. Our emergency team regularly distributes packages of food and medical supplies to those in need. In addition to rice and dry food, the packages also contain all available products from our own agricultural farms, such as vegetables, pork, chicken, beef and fish.
A current phenomenon is that many parents are leaving their children behind in the countryside to fend for themselves while they try to earn some money doing unskilled labor somewhere in Cambodia. These children have nothing. They walk for hours to the almost dried up lakes to fish. But there is almost no fish left and after a whole day’s search, there is usually only a handful of small fish for cooking. Whole groups of children go into the jungle to look for edible stuff like ant eggs, lizards, insects or wild fruits and leaves. Because there are so many children, it becomes increasingly difficult to find anything edible. Therefore, in addition to feeding the families, we focus especially on these children between the ages of 2 and 9, for whom the damages caused by malnutrition would remain noticeable for the rest of their lives.

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Humanitarian Emergency Aid

CORONA VIDEO BLOG – 07.06.2021 – HANNES SCHMID

A particularly dramatic consequence of the pandemic, especially in rural areas – due to job loss, many families are deprived of their only source of income and without financial reserves, adults have to travel far in search of work.
Viele Kinder sind auf sich allein gestellt, weil ihre Eltern durch das Land reisen, um irgendwo ein wenig Geld zu verdienen. Die Eltern sind oft Monate lang weg und haben nicht die Möglichkeit, sich um ihre Kinder zu kümmern. Diese Kinder sind dann gezwungen, mehrmals täglich auf die Suche nach Essen zu gehen. Smiling Gecko unterstützt die Kinder mit Reis, Fleisch, Gemüse und medizinischer Versorgung. Wir kümmern uns um sie und helfen ihnen, diese schwere Zeit gut zu überstehen. Danke, dass Sie uns dabei unterstützen!

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HUMANITARIAN EMERGENCY AID

WATER SCARCITY DURING THE DRY SEASON

In addition to the consequences of the pandemic, the drought causes additional problems for people. The climate has changed dramatically over recent years. Long periods of drought are followed by short periods of rain. In addition to reduced harvests, people are often unable to find clean drinking water for their daily needs.
Smiling Gecko supplies hundreds of families with clean drinking water during the dry season.

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Humanitarian Emergency Aid

SARAM FAMILY – PALM SUGAR FARMERS

Even without the consequences of the pandemic, many Cambodian families are already suffering from poverty.

Especially in the countryside around the Smiling Gecko area, many families suffer from existential hardship, food shortages and hunger. They are regularly supported by Smiling Gecko with food packages and medical care.

The poverty of the people makes us realize how important good education and sustainable economic income opportunities are for the development of a society. Therefore, in addition to humanitarian aid, we place particular focus on the continuation and expansion of the holistic and sustainable Smiling Gecko cluster projects, even in times of crisis.

Latest News

Humanitarian Emergency Aid

CORONA VIDEO BLOG – 06.22.2021 – HANNES SCHMID

As a result of health issues and the travel restrictions caused by the pandemic, Hannes Schmid was not able to travel to and stay in Cambodia for a long time after his last trip. Despite his compromised medical condition and age as well as the poor medical care facilities close to the SGC site, he has been back at the project site in Cambodia since mid-May to directly provide support to the local team.

The consequences of the pandemic are felt dramatically in Cambodia, especially in the rural areas. For many people the loss of their job means the loss of the only source of income for the whole family. In most cases, there are no financial reserves and no provision or support from social security services or the state. Thus, in many cases, the consequence of the lockdown of almost of tourism facilities and textile factories is synonymous with existential hardship, food shortages and hunger.

Many families in the area of the SGC project therefore have to be supported by Smiling Gecko with much needed food and medical care in order to survive. In order to deliver this humanitarian aid, we rely on your donations and support and we thank you for your great solidarity and support since the Covid-19 virus outbreak.

Hannes Schmid, over the whole course of his stay on the project site, will inform in irregular intervals via short video blogs about the latest situation and current developments. These video blogs will be posted on our social media channels and website.

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Humanitarian Emergency Aid

FAMILY KHUNG – ANT EGGS HUNTING

The consequences of the global pandemic are often felt even more dramatically in the poorest countries of the world than in Europe. For the people, the loss of a job often means the loss of the only source of income for an entire family. There are no financial reserves nor provision or support from social welfare or the state.

Thus, in many cases, the consequences of the lockdown in tourism and textile factories are synonymous with existential hardship, food shortages and hunger. Families in the area are scrambling for food and thus need to be supported by Smiling Gecko with food packages in order to survive.

The pandemic has once again shown us how important good education and sustainable economic income opportunities are for the development of a society. Above all, it has shown us the terrible impact such crises have, especially in the poorest countries of the world. For Smiling Gecko, the focus of our efforts is not only the humanitarian aid to support the families and children affected by the acute need, but also the continuation and expansion of the holistic and sustainable cluster projects.

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