OUR DIGITAL CAMPUS MAGAZINE
Welcome to the stories of Smiling Gecko! With the relaunch of our website, we have started to compile some of what moves and drives us at Smiling Gecko in Cambodia and captured it in small articles.
These can be reports from the individual areas of the Smiling Gecko Campus, interviews with our employees on site or stories that we find remarkable for some reason. They can be funny, sad or educational. Above all, however, they should do one thing: give hope for a future for rural Cambodia. With this in mind: Have fun browsing!
A country changes in a whirlwind
Cambodia is one of the countries most affected by climate change worldwide. In this story, you will learn what impact this has on the country.
In the Slums of Sihanoukville
These are images that are hard to bear. And yet we want to show them at the end of this report. Because they reflect the reality in Cambodia. The people who live in the slums and dumps of Sihanoukville.
The youth rat hunters of Phnom Penh
Where Cambodian meat and fish traders peddle their wares under questionable hygienic conditions during the day, young people sneak through the deserted places at night. Hannes Schmid has followed them with a cameraman.
Kampot Pepper: A very special spice
It is an indispensable part of the refined dishes of the Farmhouse Resort’s kitchen. The world-famous Kampot pepper can be ground particularly well and stylishly with the pepper mills from our carpentry workshop. But what actually makes the pepper so special? We set out to find the reasons.
The dark Khmer Red legacy
In contrast to some regions of Africa, Cambodia actually has significantly better conditions to operate an agricultural economy, for example, as we know it from the neighboring countries Thailand and Vietnam. So why is the country so poor and so backward? A look at the history books helps with the
When frogs are the last hope
A poor country like Cambodia is particularly hard hit by the corona pandemic. In contrast to the industrialized nations, the state does not have the ability to protect people from the consequences. And as always, those who are least able to defend themselves are hit the hardest: the children! We
A technician with a heart of gold
Christian Lüscher from the Center for Dental Medicine at the University of Zurich is the reason we have our own dental clinic on campus. Hannes interviewed him and asked him about his motivation.
Playful learning
We have enjoyed a strong friendship with the Lakeside School in the canton of Zurich for several years. In this story, we would like to tell you about the school’s latest campaign, which has not only made our children’s eyes light up.
Perfektes Teamwork
Mariya Un Noun will be in Switzerland at the end of April for a series of fundraising dinners. For the first time, she is bringing members of her team from Cambodia. We introduce them in this story.
Six weeks in another world
19-year-old Carolina Julius came to our campus as a volunteer to get an idea of what makes our school special. In this story, she talks about her time with us.
The hardest job at Smiling Gecko Cambodia
Our social worker Sopheary talks about her demanding job, which takes her to the poorest of the poor around the Smiling Gecko campus every day. Worth reading.
Teacher interviews, part two
In the second part of the teacher interviews, we asked Vat, Sovann and Sam about their experiences on campus and also confronted them with some of the opinions about our school from Europe.
Teacher Interviews, Part One
Our teachers Amy and Susan and the librarian Eric talk about their everyday life on campus. And – so much has already been revealed: We may then see the pictures of happy children in colorful school uniforms with different eyes.
A win-win situation
Since the Smiling Gecko Campus was founded, volunteers from Europe have been an important part of the recipe for success of the on-site training. In this story we would like to present their everyday work.
Help for the land of the defective smile
We are delighted when private individuals and companies support us. We would like to present a great example from the field of dentistry here.
The history of our school uniforms
School and Kindergarten The history of our school uniforms School uniforms are worn in many countries of the world today to make any social differences between the children less visible. In rural Cambodia, where all people are practically equally poor, they serve other purposes. Here you can find out what
The story of Pha Keo
Like so many of the people who found employment at the Smiling Gecko Campus today, carpenter Pha Keo (25) began his life in the slums of Phnom Penh. We do everything we can to ensure that it doesn’t end there.
Here is Cambodia’s future
Our new Head of Communications was in Cambodia for the first time in his life to visit the Smiling Gecko Campus. He returned highly motivated and brought us this little report.
Big for small patients
Medical and health care in Kampong Chhnang province is totally inadequate. There is no state or private offer that meets the need. With the “Smiling Gecko Medical and Dental Clinic” on campus, we have therefore established a way to improve this situation.
A Container of musik for Cambodia
A life without music? It’s probably hard for us to imagine. In Cambodia, however, this is the reality. The country’s recent history has meant that large sections of the younger generation grow up without the “natural” integration of music as a form of cultural expression. Widespread poverty and an
Mariya Un Noun: Tender Person, Tough Background
As a young maid, when Mariya was molested by her householder, she thought: This is the end. In fact, it was the beginning – of her unique career as a chef.
To cook: Mariya’s Recipe for Fish Amok
Fisch Amok ist das traditionelle Curry aus Kambodscha. Besonders fein ist es mit dem Rezept von Mariya. Wir wünschen «Guten Appetit».
The queen of spices is now growing on campus
The cultivation of vanilla is extremely complicated, but also particularly lucrative. We have started cultivating the spice at the Smiling Gecko Campus. Read this article to learn more about it.
Strong together for Cambodia
Thanks to our holistic approach, we are actually quite self-sufficient on the Smiling Gecko Campus today. But of course there are also areas where it makes sense for us to work together with other organisations.
A (r)evolution in Cambodia’s agriculture
The effects of global warming hit a poor country like Cambodia particularly hard. Here people are heavily dependent on agriculture. At the same time, there are few opportunities to protect oneself against the effects of crop failures. With the “Women in Aquaculture” project we are looking for a solution.
A way out of the slums with mangos
As in many developing countries, rural exodus is a problem in Cambodia for which there has not yet been an adequate answer. With the “Agriculture Family Project” we are gathering valuable insights into what conditions are needed to prevent people from fleeing into the slums.
Fresh from campus to table in Phnom Penh
Anyone who has ever tasted a ripe mango from the fields of the Smiling Gecko Campus will agree: There is no better fruit. Especially not in Cambodia, where most of the heavily contaminated fruit and vegetables come from Vietnam, as Cambodian farmers simply lack the expertise to use the demanding
The House of Culture and Music
Hollywood director and Smiling Gecko godfather Marc Forster is convinced: “Music, literature and film are emotional forms of expression that contribute to a nation’s healing process.” With the House of Culture and Music we want to contribute to this in the future. Here’s how we intend to do this.
Bamboo: the steel of the tropics?
Admittedly, the working title of this future project by Smiling Gecko Cambodia (SGC) is a bit unwieldy, but the idea is so good that we really want to introduce the “Advanced Bio Based Construction Materials Lab” here.
A technician with a heart of gold
Christian Lüscher from the Center for Dental Medicine at the University of Zurich is the reason we have our own dental clinic on campus. Hannes interviewed him and asked him about his motivation.
Playful learning
We have enjoyed a strong friendship with the Lakeside School in the canton of Zurich for several years. In this story, we would like to tell you about the school’s latest campaign, which has not only made our children’s eyes light up.
Perfektes Teamwork
Mariya Un Noun will be in Switzerland at the end of April for a series of fundraising dinners. For the first time, she is bringing members of her team from Cambodia. We introduce them in this story.
Six weeks in another world
19-year-old Carolina Julius came to our campus as a volunteer to get an idea of what makes our school special. In this story, she talks about her time with us.
The hardest job at Smiling Gecko Cambodia
Our social worker Sopheary talks about her demanding job, which takes her to the poorest of the poor around the Smiling Gecko campus every day. Worth reading.
Teacher interviews, part two
In the second part of the teacher interviews, we asked Vat, Sovann and Sam about their experiences on campus and also confronted them with some of the opinions about our school from Europe.
Teacher Interviews, Part One
Our teachers Amy and Susan and the librarian Eric talk about their everyday life on campus. And – so much has already been revealed: We may then see the pictures of happy children in colorful school uniforms with different eyes.
A win-win situation
Since the Smiling Gecko Campus was founded, volunteers from Europe have been an important part of the recipe for success of the on-site training. In this story we would like to present their everyday work.
Help for the land of the defective smile
We are delighted when private individuals and companies support us. We would like to present a great example from the field of dentistry here.
The queen of spices is now growing on campus
The cultivation of vanilla is extremely complicated, but also particularly lucrative. We have started cultivating the spice at the Smiling Gecko Campus. Read this article to learn more about it.
A country changes in a whirlwind
Cambodia is one of the countries most affected by climate change worldwide. In this story, you will learn what impact this has on the country.
The history of our school uniforms
School and Kindergarten The history of our school uniforms School uniforms are worn in many countries of the world today to make any social differences between the children less visible. In rural Cambodia, where all people are practically equally poor, they serve other purposes. Here you can find out what
Mariya Un Noun: Tender Person, Tough Background
As a young maid, when Mariya was molested by her householder, she thought: This is the end. In fact, it was the beginning – of her unique career as a chef.
In the Slums of Sihanoukville
These are images that are hard to bear. And yet we want to show them at the end of this report. Because they reflect the reality in Cambodia. The people who live in the slums and dumps of Sihanoukville.
The youth rat hunters of Phnom Penh
Where Cambodian meat and fish traders peddle their wares under questionable hygienic conditions during the day, young people sneak through the deserted places at night. Hannes Schmid has followed them with a cameraman.
Strong together for Cambodia
Thanks to our holistic approach, we are actually quite self-sufficient on the Smiling Gecko Campus today. But of course there are also areas where it makes sense for us to work together with other organisations.
The House of Culture and Music
Hollywood director and Smiling Gecko godfather Marc Forster is convinced: “Music, literature and film are emotional forms of expression that contribute to a nation’s healing process.” With the House of Culture and Music we want to contribute to this in the future. Here’s how we intend to do this.
A (r)evolution in Cambodia’s agriculture
The effects of global warming hit a poor country like Cambodia particularly hard. Here people are heavily dependent on agriculture. At the same time, there are few opportunities to protect oneself against the effects of crop failures. With the “Women in Aquaculture” project we are looking for a solution.
Bamboo: the steel of the tropics?
Admittedly, the working title of this future project by Smiling Gecko Cambodia (SGC) is a bit unwieldy, but the idea is so good that we really want to introduce the “Advanced Bio Based Construction Materials Lab” here.
A way out of the slums with mangos
As in many developing countries, rural exodus is a problem in Cambodia for which there has not yet been an adequate answer. With the “Agriculture Family Project” we are gathering valuable insights into what conditions are needed to prevent people from fleeing into the slums.
Kampot Pepper: A very special spice
It is an indispensable part of the refined dishes of the Farmhouse Resort’s kitchen. The world-famous Kampot pepper can be ground particularly well and stylishly with the pepper mills from our carpentry workshop. But what actually makes the pepper so special? We set out to find the reasons.
Fresh from campus to table in Phnom Penh
Anyone who has ever tasted a ripe mango from the fields of the Smiling Gecko Campus will agree: There is no better fruit. Especially not in Cambodia, where most of the heavily contaminated fruit and vegetables come from Vietnam, as Cambodian farmers simply lack the expertise to use the demanding
The story of Pha Keo
Like so many of the people who found employment at the Smiling Gecko Campus today, carpenter Pha Keo (25) began his life in the slums of Phnom Penh. We do everything we can to ensure that it doesn’t end there.
Here is Cambodia’s future
Our new Head of Communications was in Cambodia for the first time in his life to visit the Smiling Gecko Campus. He returned highly motivated and brought us this little report.
To cook: Mariya’s Recipe for Fish Amok
Fisch Amok ist das traditionelle Curry aus Kambodscha. Besonders fein ist es mit dem Rezept von Mariya. Wir wünschen «Guten Appetit».
The dark Khmer Red legacy
In contrast to some regions of Africa, Cambodia actually has significantly better conditions to operate an agricultural economy, for example, as we know it from the neighboring countries Thailand and Vietnam. So why is the country so poor and so backward? A look at the history books helps with the
Big for small patients
Medical and health care in Kampong Chhnang province is totally inadequate. There is no state or private offer that meets the need. With the “Smiling Gecko Medical and Dental Clinic” on campus, we have therefore established a way to improve this situation.
A Container of musik for Cambodia
A life without music? It’s probably hard for us to imagine. In Cambodia, however, this is the reality. The country’s recent history has meant that large sections of the younger generation grow up without the “natural” integration of music as a form of cultural expression. Widespread poverty and an
When frogs are the last hope
A poor country like Cambodia is particularly hard hit by the corona pandemic. In contrast to the industrialized nations, the state does not have the ability to protect people from the consequences. And as always, those who are least able to defend themselves are hit the hardest: the children! We
