By Im Chhaiya | Project Leader
Dear Supporters, Teachers, Students, Parents and Family Members,
ODC is deeply proud of and grateful for all that has already been accomplished in 2022! We, the ODC team, are all safe and well; our students pour into ODC with an unshakable enthusiasm to learn. Our communities are beginning to rebound from all the pandemic evoked hardships. We do hope that you are all safe and well, too.
Most Cambodian people have been vaccinated, including children from three years old and up. This has allowed our students to return to school on a regular basis, alongside Covid-19 masking and spacing restrictions. The local shops are now all reopened and many tourism-based businesses are back to their normal schedules. Cambodia is open for all people to come by air, sea, and road. Recently our government has eliminated pre-arrival Covid-19, testing if travelers carry up-to-date vaccination cards. Helpfully, tourists can once again obtain their visas upon arrival too.
Our 2022 in-person student enrollment has swelled to 190 (compared with 121 virtually at this time last year). Even after building two additional classrooms, we still needed to place many interested students on our waiting list. To serve the increasing number of students, we hired two more teachers; bringing the team size to ten; six teachers, three teaching scholars, and a volunteer. To optimize for our larger enrollment numbers, we have also re-scheduled all the younger students into daytime classes and now all those in secondary school attend ODC evening sessions.
This year, we have completed two significant capital projects: a new 4-room modern toilet, and the filling of an adjacent pond. Both investments significantly improve the school’s hygiene and overall student safety. Several other projects are in progress; a new drainage system, more parking areas and at the end of this year, if possible, we hope to add a new library and a reception room.
The Covid-19 pandemic triggered a global economic crisis, and initially closed ODC itself. Yet this crisis also triggered us to reimagine how to serve our students and their families. Within the constraints of what was legally allowed, we re-tasked ourselves to develop a remote learning program for ODC. Although we were uncertain at first, our efforts were remarkably embraced by ODC’ student/families. Over the long resulting journey, thousands of workbook pages were printed, personalized learning packages hand delivered, graded work returned, and inspired learning made possible over countless phone calls, Facebook Messenger, and text message exchanges. While many educational efforts stalled or had to fully close, ODC stood out and the community noticed. Now as we strive to return to a post pandemic “normal”, ODC’s student enrollment has nearly doubled, our campus is greatly improved and our team expanded. Meanwhile our funds to support these expanded efforts are significantly lagging. Addressing this funding gap is now our most urgent priority.
In closing, we would like to reiterate our whole-hearted gratitude for your on-going supportand generosity. Your commitment to ODC’s is transformative and opens so many previously closed doors for our students and thus empowers our whole community.
Sincerely,
Chhaiya IM
Founder and Headmaster, ODC Organization
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