Smiling Gecko Educational Campus
Violence is not a solution, but often an expression of helplessness.
With the wonderful Thoung Sachaksakda–or Sakada for short–we have finally been able to hire our own social worker for the school and kindergarten. For the first time, this allows us to establish an immediate and ongoing dialogue with our pupils’ families. In the past, it was often neighbours or third parties who informed us of troubling situations, losing precious time before we could intervene. From now on, a trained professional will sit in on classes and support children exhibiting behavioural challenges. We are incredibly grateful for both the connection with families and the in-class support. Sakada holds a degree in psychology from the Royal University of Phnom Penh and brings valuable experience from his work with other NGOs in Cambodia–including supporting sex workers and traumatised children. His experience with the latter, in particular, makes him an extraordinary asset for us.
In addition to working directly with families, he will play a crucial role in developing and implementing our child protection policies, the first draft of which is already on the school leadership desk. This will help us raising awareness among new teachers about what is appropriate and necessary for the wellbeing of children. After all, it is the teachers who have daily, close contact with the pupils and are often the first to notice when something is wrong at home.
And sadly, many challenges persist, despite the significant progress made since the early days of the school. Drug abuse and domestic violence remain recurring issues, and it can take months to build the trust of a family–trust that is essential to understanding and addressing the root causes. In this work, Sakada’s presence will be invaluable.
To be clear: we place only limited blame on the families. Widespread hopelessness and a lack of parenting skills mean that many are navigating daily life as a constant balancing act–teetering on a razor’s edge.
