Q1 2025
Embracing Transformation
In our quest to become the highest version of ourselves, we recognize that true transformation starts from within and extends far beyond our personal boundaries. At AAL and BLCP, we're translating this philosophy into actionable work that impacts thousands of children across Cambodia.
By providing essential resources, education, and care, we're not simply offering services; we're creating opportunities for children to discover their potential and transform their own lives. When we empower a child with clean water, dental care, quality education, or community support, we're planting seeds of transformation that will flourish for generations to come.
WASHH Program: Building Foundations for Health
The Water, Sanitation and Hygiene for Health (WASHH) program continues to make significant strides in improving the fundamental health conditions of schools across Kampot, Kampong Speu, and Takeo provinces. Our 240 water purification systems are functioning well, providing safe drinking water to over 87,000 children. This quarter, we expanded our impact by constructing 6 new handwashing facilities, 14 rubbish segregation stations, and renovating 2 toilets across 22 schools. Our team has extended the scope of their work to now include the Right Thing to Do in raising awareness on healthy eating, environment consciousness and self care.
Our new school evaluation system has been implemented with grades ranging from A to E, providing us with more specific data to target improvement efforts. While the percentage of top-performing schools appears to have decreased under the new grading system, this reflects our more rigorous grading criteria rather than declining standards. This enhanced assessment tool will help us better allocate resources to schools in greatest need.
Dental Program: Creating Healthy Smiles
Our dental initiatives continue to bring essential oral healthcare to children who would otherwise lack access. This quarter, our teams screened more than 4,300 children at 20 schools, providing Silver Diamine Fluoride (SDF) treatments to all screened children. Our permanent dental clinics served 4,018 children, a remarkable 47% increase compared to the same period last year. We have been able to widen our reach with the new mobile dental clinic and more staff.
We have successfully implemented a new dental software system made possible by IT provider Pegotec. This digitalisation represents a significant advancement in our operations, enabling greater efficiency, secure storage of patient data, and critically, the ability to undertake big data analysis in the next phase of our development. This analytical capability will guide our strategic decisions and serve as a measure of the effectiveness of our work. During a recent visit, the Head of the Cambodian Oral Health Bureau was very impressed with our program and the software implementation with him requesting for more details about the system.
Almost 9,000 children received oral health education, and we distributed 26,577 toothbrush kits donated by our long time corporate partner, Colgate. Our Cambodia Smile Intervention program also reached 4,274 early childhood contacts with fluoride varnish applications and oral health education through their caretakers.
Education & Model Schools: Nurturing Minds
Our education initiatives continue to provide valuable learning opportunities beyond the standard curriculum. English classes and computer training programs are thriving, with a new focus on improving teaching delivery rather than just teacher proficiency. We've engaged a native English teacher to observe lessons and provide feedback to our 17 teachers across 14 schools.
Our 7 non-formal and 6 preschool classes continue to serve 412 students with attendance rates exceeding 90%. The mobile library program conducted 306 visits to 200 schools, providing library services to approximately 50,000 children.
The Model School project has shown remarkable progress, with three more schools fully adopting our concept and achieving top 3-star scores from the provincial education department. This success has allowed us to expand to three new schools, bringing the total participation to 14 schools, 9 of which have successfully completed the program while 5 are still in progress. This concept has enabled over 3,500 students to have a positive school experience which is pivotal in encouraging learning.
Anglungkuki Community School (ACS)
As part of our LINK strategy (which enables our teams to work hand-in-hand) to provide holistic services, we have the ACS school staff working closely with our Community Development team to quickly identify domestic issues in the homes of especially the children attending the school. Monthly meetings are held between heads with follow up actions taken.
Community Development: Strengthening Families
Our community development initiatives continue to support vulnerable families and children in Anlungkuki and have expanded to neighbouring Mean Rith village. In Anlungkuki, we provided daily lunches to 40 primary school students, educational support to secondary and high school students, and comprehensive assistance to orphans, ensuring regular school attendance for all participants. Eleven slow-learning students received extra classes, showing marked academic improvement.
The self-help group continues to thrive, with 23 members implementing income-generating activities that produced a total profit of $2,023 this quarter. Additionally, we constructed a new toilet facility for an underprivileged family and conducted workshops on crucial issues like drug abuse, alcohol, and domestic violence.
In Mean Rith, our new program has already constructed a toilet for a needy family, provided school necessities to 30 students from vulnerable families, and funded house renovations for 4 families.
A Shared Journey of Transformation
Our journey of transformation is made possible by our dedicated supporters and donors who share our vision of enabling meaningful lives for all. Every contribution, whether financial, material, or through volunteering, creates ripples of positive change in communities that need it most. Together, we're not just transforming lives; we're transforming futures, communities, and ultimately, a nation.
Thank you for being part of this transformative journey that allows thousands of children in Cambodia to discover their highest potential and lead truly meaningful lives.