Ian Kydd Miller. Documentary Photographer
The Aogaah Foundation, Cambodia
The provision of education in Cambodia very much depends on the individual resources of the family. If you have money you can be educated. The government does provide some state resourced education but it is full of problems for poor families that cannot afford the monthly ''fee's'' demanded by the teachers. This of course means that those families least able to afford an education for their children actually remain illiterate and unable to do other than menial work sustaining their cycle of poverty.
With this in mind my friend Rick Mayer, a retired math professor from Arizona, USA decided to set up an NGO to offer free education to some of the most underprivaledged children living in the slums of Toul Kork in Phnom Penh. Hence, eight years ago, was born The Aogaah Foundation.
Funded initially by Rick himself and the support of a few friends the Foundation now has several people, families and companies who offer donations and regular support. I am not going to name them, they know who they are and how much their help is appreciated. We now have 143 kids registered at the school.
The school is a non profit organisation and
none of the western directors recieve any monetary reward for the work they do for the school. Only the Khmer teachers recieve a salary. All monies donated to the foundation are used to provide services for the children.
The Kids from Aogaah School
