Lita, 13 years old - Year 5

Lita joined the International School of Siem Reap (ISSR) when the school was formed. She is one of the few Khmer pupils whose parents have made it clear they place quality education at the top of their priority list. She undertakes extra classes after school hours to strengthen her general ability and English comprehension across the subject areas. Lita has shown good study habits, amazing determination and devotion to her studies which are all conducted in English. Current class teacher, Ms Miriam, is very satisfied with her progress.

Lita comes from an average Khmer family. Her father was a war veteran and became disabled during the civil war. After recuperation from hardship, he learnt to speak English and became an employee of Medicines Sans Frontières (MSF). Following a few years of operation in Siem Reap Province, MSF transferred its operation and management to its government counterpart, the Provincial Department of Health in Siem Reap. As a result many employees were made redundant when Medicines Sans Frontières Belgium closed their local office. Lita's father was among the staff laid-off, and therefore the family income has been reduced.

Lita's attendance at ISSR is at tremendous cost to the family. Her mother manages a small wholesale handicraft business which sells products to various retailers in local markets. Lita has two brothers who work at hotels and earn just enough to support themselves and their parents. Both of the brothers also attend part-time classes at local colleges to further their education. ISSR and the local colleges are private educational institutions and therefore the education fees of the three children have contributed to Lita's parents' struggle with their daily living.

Lita's parents would deeply appreciate sponsorship of their daughter's education from any individual or organisation, otherwise she will not be able to attend school as from the next school year 2010-2011. It would be really sad, and possibly a life trauma, for Lita if she had to leave school.

ISSR is a private school maintaining a high standard of education, following fully the British National Primary Programme, and all ISSR teachers are professionals who are fully qualified primary school teachers. ISSR is run and managed at as low a cost as possible to ensure its fees are affordable to average families, local and expatriate alike, while maintaining the quality of teachers and staff who are recruited yearly. The school management has managed these two equations, balancing them so that the school is financially stable while creating a good environment for its professional staff.

Zita, 6 years old - Year 1

Zita is a confident Khmer pupil who is very contented and observant. Zita is at the moment in Year 1 class. She has managed well amongst her peers and continues to excel in her studies. Zita is also taking Khmer class as an after-school activity. This is to ensure that the child is still aware of her traditions and cultures. She learns to read and write Khmer script and Khmer social studies. The English Pri-mary School Programme runs from 0800 till 1500 and the afterschool activities are from 15:30. This is a very long day for a child to attend English School Programme as well as Khmer Class but Zita has managed really well. Ms Judie MacMillan, her class teacher in Year 1, is really happy about her progress in class, as is Ms. Yuk Leang her Khmer class teacher.

Zita comes from a broken Khmer family, whose father had deserted them while Zita was still very young. For the past five years Zita's mother has owned and run a travel agency behind the Old Market. Due to the very low revenue of the shop for the last 18 months, Zita's mother had to seek additional employment and reduce her costs at her shop to a minimum. At the moment Zita's mother is the provincial manageress of Angkor Airways, a joint local venture of the Vietnamese and Cambodian Royal governments.

Zita's mother is seeking sponsorship for her daughter's education as from the next School Year as her current income can only support her small travel agency and the family living expenses, her widowed mother, one sister who is still a student at a local university, herself and daughter Zita. While her job is not at all stable, Zita's mother is still holding on to her shop, hoping that the tourists will come back to Siem Reap in larger numbers. The shop had been the only family income till the recent economic crisis.

Without sponsorship, Zita will soon be forced to go to a local state school, where children spend time mainly play-ing. Zita is gaining life skills while attending ISSR which she could later use to be able to go to a college abroad in the future. In the state school she would learn very little, if anything at all.

Maliza, 6 years old - Year 1

Maliza is a very contented child, always smiling and giggling. She loves her class teacher, Ms Judie, and never wants to go home after school. Maliza has attended ISSR since the beginning of the current school year and is doing really well at school. Maliza is receiving full English Primary Programme from 0800 till 1500 hrs. She is also learning Mandarin as part of the school Modern Foreign Language program.

Maliza comes from a Khmer family with three siblings. Her father is a lecturer at a local university and her mother runs and manages a local family restaurant on the ground floor of their home. Again, due to the tough economic conditions of today, Maliza's family won't be able to keep her enrolled at ISSR during the next school Year (2010 - 2011).

The survival of the family comes first and without sponsorship Maliza would be forced to attend the state school next year.