Library and school: the new missions of the boat library
Our first boat library is now sailing in the village of Dei Roneat, following the project's full autonomy in the first villages served in 2021. The Tonlé Lake, the largest in Southeast Asia, is home to many isolated floating villages where children live far from school facilities.
Discovering the book
There was no library in Dei Roneat before the arrival of the boat library. Only a poorly equipped primary school. Now, the boat library, equipped with 900 books and hundreds of educational games, is introducing reading to the 250 families living in the village on the water.
Docking near primary schools and community centers, our librarian-educators offer children (and everyone else) storytelling sessions, academic support, and a book lending service. The boat has been very well received, with an average of 180 children participating in the sessions. For many, it is their first encounter with books outside of school textbooks.
Accessing secondary education through BEEP
The village of Dei Roneat faces alarming challenges in terms of access to secondary education. The lack of a nearby middle school and logistical constraints force the majority of children to drop out of school after primary school.
To address this shortcoming, Sipar, in partnership with UNESCO and the Ministry of Education (MoYESof Cambodia, offers 15 young people from the village the opportunity to take part in the BEEP programme. It is a recognized middle school equivalency program that can be completed remotely using servers that allow tablets to be used offline. With limited internet access in the village, it was previously impossible for students wishing to continue their education after primary school to take online courses. The courses will be taught by our librarian-educators, who have been trained by the MoYES digital technology department.
This alternative and free education allows young people to obtain a middle school diploma without having to leave their village and their families. Thanks to a strong local partnership, every child now has the right to education in Dei Roneat.
Lo Chandy, an ambitious young woman serving her community
Newly recruited, the new librarian-educator at the boat library firmly believes in the power of education. Originally from the village of Dei Roneat, Chandy is well aware of the obstacles children face in continuing their education beyond primary school. She grew up in a poor fishing family whose survival depended entirely on aquatic resources. In her community, many children drop out of school to help their families.
To continue her studies, Chandy had to move to another province, which brought its own set of challenges: finding accommodation, adapting to a new lifestyle far from home and on land, at her grandmother's house in Siem Reap province. After graduating last October, she successfully applied for the job advertised by Sipar in the community. Chandy is determined to lead the way for the young people of the village and support them in overcoming the challenges of growing up and living in the remote floating village of Dei Roneat.
She is assisted by the village teacher, who volunteered to accompany her on her missions. Two motivated librarians who are convinced that education is the key.
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