A World of Difference

Sponsors of Cambodia World Family

Khmer Literacy for Women

Jon Morgan, advisor and consultant to CWF, at a site visit of a Khmer Literacy class in Siem Reap Province near the fabled temples of Angkor Wat. Cambodia World Family specifically targets women between the ages of 15 and 40, as well as older children who have been denied basic education for a variety of reasons. Today our Programs have extended into Kep, Siem Reap and Prey Veng Provinces.

Khmer Literacy serves as the backbone of CWF's rural development activities, and has earned us great respect and a very positive reputation among the people of Cambodia. In 1997, CWF was the largest provider of literacy services of all the local NGOs working in Cambodia.

In the rural areas, the percentage of women who cannot read or write their own language is as high as 80%. There are many reasons for this: from three decades of war, schools that are too far away, to disabling poverty. It is not even debatable that literacy is the most important intervention to be made in any effort to improve the lives of the Cambodian people. When women become literate they have access to health information which is followed by a reduction in infant mortality and childhood deaths and life expectancy increases. Education of children improves, and per capita income increases, as well.

Literacy class The basic curriculum for literacy is six months, followed by another six months of "post-literacy" activities such as job training and English classes. See our Women's Education and Training page for more information. The UNICEF-approved literacy curriculum is based upon more than 70 individual lessons. Through its literacy program Cambodia World Family can address different issues of importance to a rural community: household sanitation; productive use of free time; conflict resolution; HIV-AIDS awareness and prevention; maternal and child health; and more. Cambodia World Family is proud to be partnered with Proliteracy International in this program.

The cost of bringing literacy to one person is just US$25...