Harrogate school's charity partnership helps to educate and improve lives of children in Cambodian village

Ashville College was visited by Chris Turner from Edukid – one of the school’s chosen charities for the 2021/22 academic year - which provides educational opportunities for disadvantaged children in Cambodia, Uganda and Palestine.

Edukid is also the partner charity of the Methodist Independent Schools Trust (MIST), of which Ashville is an associate member.

In Cambodia school is free, but thousands of children are still too poor to attend as they can’t afford the uniform, books and pens.

Many schools are under resourced, meaning they have two sets of pupils – so children either attend school in the morning or in the afternoon.

Consequently, even if a child can get the opportunity to go to school, their chances of changing the poverty that constrains them is limited.

For its part, Ashville sponsors a village in the province of Kampong Thom and the school helps to provide children there with the equipment and uniform they need to attend school for a year, along with paying for two teachers to provide an extra hour of tuition for the children each day.

Ashville is also supporting employment opportunities for parents, enabling children to stay in school, and sponsorship for university courses, and has also been involved in setting up a plastic recycling project with Edukid within Cambodia.

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Before the Covid-19 pandemic, Ashville had a visit from Bonnie, one of the street children Edukid sponsors, who is now a doctor.

It also took some of its Sixth Form and Year 11 pupils to visit the country, which it is hoping to do again next year.

Cathy Price, Ashville College teacher and its charity lead, said: “Each year we choose a number of different charities, both here in the UK, and because we are an international school, overseas too.

"It was a pleasure to welcome Mr Turner to Ashville and hear about the organisation’s important work in Cambodia.

“Through Edukid we are supporting between 40 and 50 children, aged between three and 18, living in a rural village, to boost their education and break the cycle of poverty by opening up their future prospects.

“We are aiming to take a party of pupils and staff to Cambodia in October 2023, so they can see how Edukid is helping to improve the lives of these boys and girls, as well as getting involved and supporting the charity's work on the ground.”

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