Before joining us, Susan taught in Dubai and in her native South Africa, among other places. Here, she looks after our youngest pupils, aged four to six. And she won us over with her very first answer. It was about how we should imagine her lessons. Here‘s what she said: “First of all, it‘s important to understand that it‘s about much more than just learning letters and language. For us, learning begins when the children come through the school gate. With a greeting, with initial conversations and a smile. It‘s about making the children feel that they are in a safe environment.”

It is a beautiful idea—and one that is very much reflected in everyday life in the nursery, pre-school, and kindergarten. The days are filled with music, movement, stories and laughter. Lessons don‘t just take place in the classroom. When the children learn about nature, they also go out into nature and explore it with their hands and feet. As an example, Susan told us about an activity focused on teaching the children where their daily food comes from.

The two have been part of our team since the beginning of the school year and have already done an incredible job, particularly in encouraging and empowering our female students. We are very enthusiastic about their work and would like to introduce this project to you here.

But let‘s start by introducing the two of them. Soriya is an American with Cambodian roots who has been living in Cambodia since 2023. She initially worked as an English teacher at a public school in Kampong Cham province, but has since joined us as a physical education teacher. She is supported by Makara, who is one of the best volleyball players in Cambodia, a country crazy about volleyball. She plays for the national team and represented Cambodia at the 2023 Asian Games. It is worth noting that this team was the first to compete internationally since the 1970s, making Makara a true pioneer. And pioneering work is exactly what the two of them are now doing here on our campus.

When international news agencies reported the outbreak of fighting between Cambodia and Thailand on 24 July, it accelerated the mass return of hundreds of thousands of migrant workers travelling from Thailand to be with their families, which had already begun in the weeks before. According to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), up to 800,000 Cambodian nationals returned via official border posts between June and August, but the IOM estimates that the actual number is probably much higher.

While this is a typical movement in times of crisis, in this case it has dramatic consequences. They are returning to a labour market that is in no way prepared for their return.

“The Cambodian labour market is a paradox,” Tola Mouen, executive director of the Centre for Alliance of Labour and Human Rights, told The Guardian. Although official figures suggest near full employment, they mask the reality. More than 14% of workers earn less than $2.15 per day and 53% are in precarious employment. ‘Given these figures, and the extent of household debt, I don’t see how Cambodia could absorb all the returning migrant workers — not even half of the estimated 1.2 million in Thailand,’ Mouen says.

And it’s going to get much worse. Due to uncertainty surrounding the impact of problematic American tariff policies, the Cambodian economy is under even greater pressure than before. The tariffs will jeopardise hundreds of thousands of jobs, particularly in the garment, footwear, and travel goods industries, which employ one million people, mostly women, according to the UN. The textile industry is the backbone of the Cambodian economy.