Children and Youth Learning in Remote Areas

DVV International has been cooperating for long with Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFP), a local Non-Government Organisation based in Ratanakiri Province. Since it was established in 1996 NTFP has played a crucial role in helping indigenous people securing their rights to education, land and natural resources. For the last 25 years, NTFP has been implementing activities to successfully support various non-formal education programs and for the last five years it successfully cooperated with the target groups of out of school children. One of the particular strengths of NTFP is the effective engagement with indigenous communities.

DVV International is currently supporting NTFP to implement a fourth and final phase of the Project “Mobile CLCs for disadvantaged children and youth in Kavet Communities” in the Province of Ratanakiri. Born by the joint intent of DVV International Cambodia and Non Timber Forest Project (NTFP) to address the problem of access to basic education for Kavet children and youth, a network of Mobile CLCs providing non-formal education was successfully established in the former project phases. The current project phase particularly addresses sustainability aspects of the CLC infrastructure created so that children and youth in the project region receive safe learning opportunities for improving their knowledge and skills in the long-run.

The goals of the ongoing project phase are to strengthen the capacities of local authorities, CLC staff and volunteer teachers with regard to CLC management, community mobilisation and the organisation of training activities. Children, youth and community members gain knowledge on agriculture, gardening, hygiene practices and media literacy. Networking and collaboration with local authorities and stakeholders is strengthened. Inclusive workshops with volunteer teachers, CLC committee members, village chiefs and community leaders as well representatives from the governmental (district, province, central level) as well DVV, NTFP and other community organizations aim at discussing sustainability, ownership and funding schemes to assure the proper functioning in the future to assure that the mobile CLCs become permanent ones.