About To Grow An Orchid
Helping young people in Cambodia finish school
Improving education to raise opportunities for young people in rural Cambodia.
We cannot solve every problem in education. What we can do is help in small ways and try to spread those ideas more widely. Our focus is Information Technology — because Cambodia is behind comparable countries in Southeast Asia — and supporting the poorest students to stay in school.
The situation
Cambodia wants to become a digital economy. Key IT skills — email, Google, safe use of social media — are not taught in schools. Our objective is to accelerate the use of IT in schools, engage more students, and help them move into careers in technology. This will bring good jobs and better salaries to rural communities that desperately need them.
We also assist teachers with English — discussing different teaching styles, sharing freely available resources, and giving them more experience.
The challenges
Life in rural Cambodia In rural provinces like Kampong Thom, the average wage is $150 per month. Most students’ parents speak little English and have no experience of IT. They are supportive of their children’s education but schools lack resources compared to equivalent schools across Southeast Asia.
More people into IT It is recognised at the highest levels of government that Cambodia is lacking IT skills. The solution is through education, starting no later than Grade 10 (age 15). We help schools introduce technology and grow their understanding from there.
More girls into IT In Cambodia, very few women work in IT and the numbers entering university IT courses are low. In rural areas, girls face pressure to stay home. We commit to promoting IT to girls and encouraging them throughout their education. In our most recent IT Club course delivery, 73% of students were girls.
Helping students For £10 / $12 per month we can help a student eat, buy books and clothes and remain at school. Teachers and school directors identify the students who are struggling most. We provide the funds.
Schools and IT If a school only uses Excel for administration, the wider benefits of IT will be missed. We help schools bring in better systems, improve their infrastructure, and raise understanding among both teachers and students.
Teacher training Schools are forced to turn science teachers into IT teachers due to a lack of qualified staff. We provide refresher sessions for English teachers and involve IT teachers in our projects to build their knowledge and confidence.
Background
We first met young people from a school in rural Cambodia in 2018 and were overwhelmed by their friendliness and desire to learn. This inspired us to act. To Grow An Orchid was established as a Charitable Trust in early 2019.
The Trustees
Robert Hunt Former CEO of a software company. Spent his working life in IT, having lived in New Zealand, South Africa and the US. Became involved with schools in Cambodia in 2018 and founded the charity in early 2019.
Ken Hughes Former Chief Technical Officer. Originally from the Isle of Bute, Scotland. Served eleven years in the Royal Signals before moving into IT and software. Involved with the charity since the outset.
James Meston Thirty-one years in financial services. Trustee of another charity involved in student advancement and education. Involved with To Grow An Orchid since the early days.
Are you a school or institute in Cambodia needing help with IT? Get in touch — we’d love to hear from you.
Contact form
Contact Us
To get involved or understand more about us
Please contact us and help us improve life of school children in rural Cambodia.
email admin@togrowanorchid.org