Education is Empowerment

“Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world.”
-Nelson Mandela

During the semester break, I was fortunate to have the opportunity to travel through several countries in South East Asia. This trip offered me enormous personal growth and I was able to reflect on my skills being acquired in the social work field and understand the need for them at an international level.

One of the most prominent issues facing the region is poverty. I continued to learn throughout my travels the main reason poverty exists, as a perpetual cycle for much of the population, is the lack of a basic education. This idea became apparent to me during my time in Cambodia. Here, many people are on the streets begging for tourists to buy items or donate money, rather than participating to build their own economy by creating positions to service the area’s tourism. Is the main resource scarcity money? Upon countless talks with locals, it was brought to my attention that the essential resource lacking was that of a proper education.

I spent time with many people involved with creating and maintaining schools for children to attend in and around Siem Reap, Cambodia. There are several reliable organizations that distribute funds appropriately, but many are set up through the government and the funds are taken away from the education system. Cambodia only uses 1.6% of its GDP towards education. The majority of the schools are funded through Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO’s). Many of these organizations are set up through the United States and Japan.

The majority of information around the education system that I received came from the many volunteers working at a school on the outskirts of Siem Reap. This school is named Self Help Community Center (SHCC) and it was created by a Cambodian man named Choan Sambath. He had the desire to educate his population and opened the school in 2007. The school currently has a few hundred students and offers classes such as art, organic farming, English, and a Social Work in the Community class, as well as several others. No funds are provided by the government and this school would not be possible without donations and many people volunteering their time and services. Please view SHCC’s youtube video and browse their site for more information.

After reviewing the United Nations website on Education, I felt the following paragraph summarized the idea of education being the cornerstone for creating opportunity in one’s life:
“Basic education empowers individuals by opening up avenues of communication that would otherwise be closed, expanding personal choice and control over one’s environment, and providing the basis for acquiring many other skills. It gives people access to information through both print and electronic media, equips them to cope better with work and family responsibilities, and changes the image they have of themselves. It strengthens their self-confidence to participate in community affairs and influence political issues. Basic education is the key with which individuals can unlock the full range of their talents and realize their creative potential. It gives disadvantaged people the tools they need to move from exclusion to full participation in their society. Basic education also empowers entire nations because educated citizens and workers have the skills to make democratic institutions function effectively, to meet the demands for a more sophisticated workforce, to work for a cleaner environment, and to meet their obligations as parents and citizens” (United Nations Ed., Sci., and Cult. Organization).

At first a feeling of sorrow overcame me as I saw the many children begging for money to eat. However, after learning that many of these children are being kept away from schools and forced into begging by their parents, that feeling began to change to disheartening and ignite the social worker within to create change. While much money, time, and energy is needed to create and maintain schools, there is still a strong need for recruitment and advocation for these children to come and stay in schools. It is this reason that I realize the need for community social work at an international level. This experience revealed the need for empowerment throughout the world and has inspired me to investigate how my skills can be employed internationally.

Education does have the power to change the world and I feel that we should all share in the responsibility of bringing education to the less fortunate. Whether it be donating our time, skills, money or resources, we all have the power to contribute towards making the world a better place for at least one person. While discussing finances with Cambodian school administrators, it was shared that ten U.S. dollars would fund one child’s education expenses for a year once the funds were allocated properly. The easiest thing for most of us to contribute is money or resources, so please give it some consideration. I have listed two legitimate funding operations which are reliable ways to make sure our resources reach the children of Cambodia.

SHCC informative video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIWYSzL6mRw

http://www.shcccambodia.org/

PACDOC
Mr. Toun Boran (Director)
boran.pacdoc@yahoo.com
pacdocngo@yahoo.com
supplies needed: food, rice, mosquito nets, books, office supplies, blankets, school supplies, pillows, medical supplies, mats, clothing, shoes, etc.


United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization. 1997. Adult Education
in a Polarizing World. Paris.