EASEL School Poipet, Cambodia

During my field research on human trafficking and education as prevention in Southeast Asia, I was lucky enough to cross paths with Leng, the founder of EASEL School. It is people like Leng that make the world a better place despite all of the awful things that happen around the world to disadvantaged and marginalized people. Leng has dedicated his life and his livelihood to providing education and a safe place for rural children on the Thailand-Cambodia border. Children in this area are pressured to work and often cannot attend government schools due to school fees, uniform and book costs. Many of the parents of these children cross the border into Thailand as undocumented day laborers on Thai farms. Some parents cross for extended periods of time, leaving their children in the care of distant relatives or family friends. These children are often left unattended in the villages and slums throughout the day, and without access to school, will likely be trafficked.

EASEL School hopes that providing free education for these children will reduce their vulnerability to trafficking, improve their life-chances through access to education and social mobility. EASEL provides free English, computer and holistic life skills training for all students. In addition to serving children at the primary/elementary level, EASEL also serves secondary students in a unique and novel way.

In this region of Cambodia, poor students attending government secondary schools are often unlikely to complete their secondary schooling and graduate. Students must pass government secondary exams, and this process is wrought with controversy and corruption. Secondary teachers offer tutoring for these exams during the evenings and on weekends, but for a fee. The poorest students cannot afford tutoring sessions, and because some teachers withhold some of the curriculum to pressure students to take tutoring sessions, students who do not attend tutoring are unlikely to pass exams. EASEL has established a program for secondary youth to not only receive education in English and computers at the school, but also receive a wage that can be used to attend these tutoring sessions, and offset other school fees. These secondary youth act as teachers to the younger students studying basic English, and on weekends the secondary youth have formed a mobile community outreach group called MERCY Youth.

MERCY Youth travel by bicycle and tuk-tuk (motorcycle based transport) to more distant villages and slums where children cannot reach EASEL by foot. The youth conduct basic English lessons, team building activities, health and hygiene training and feed the children in these areas. Acting as community activists, change agents, advocates and role models for these marginalized children, MERCY Youth has the potential to make real lasting impact in the region.

However, EASEL School and MERCY Youth need help. I am looking for student organizations, civic clubs, church groups, volunteers, businesses, sports teams, bands and promoters and any other individuals and groups that would like to get involved with the organization. We are looking to set up fundraising activities for anyone interested in an international charitable activity, mission, corporate social responsibility program or similar project. We are looking for networking with groups that may be interested in partnering with an organization making a powerful impact in a disadvantaged region with very little resources.  We are looking for any other type of support any interested party would like to offer.

If you are in Georgia, or nearby in the Southeast, I will gladly come to present to your group or organization about human trafficking, development and vulnerability of marginalized people in Southeast Asia, as well as the work of EASEL School. If you are farther away, I would love to present to a class, team or group via Skype of Facetime. If you have a connection with a group that might be interested, please pass on the contact information, and I will gladly follow up.

Thanks for your time,

Bob Spires