Life for families who live and work in the salt fields is exceptionally difficult. Wages are a low, work is exhausting and irregular, living conditions are primitive, and the environment is harsh. Children may miss school for lack of money, distance to travel, caring for younger siblings or for sick parents, or failure to recognize the importance of education.

The Salt Fields project is directed at these families.

• Uniforms and school supplies are provided to the children of salt field families to allow them to attend government school.
• A truck transports up to 30 primary school children between the salt fields and the government school each day.
• High school students are given bicycles to get to school and also to attend the CLS evening school.
• Families are visited regularly to assess needs and to encourage continued school attendance by their children.
• Consultations are held with Commune and school authorities to address issues affecting attendance and performance of salt field students.
• An annual workshop is held to emphasise to parents the value of education.
• To supplement lessons at the government school, basic Khmer and English lessons and creative activities are provided for primary and pre-primary children at a small classroom in the salt fields.

US$50 will buy a uniform and school supplies for a child for a year.

US$200/child is the annual cost of running the truck and paying the driver’s salary to transport children to and from school.

US$60 buys a child a bicycle to ride to Evening School (the truck transports children to daytime lessons but not to Evening School)

Read about the oval and playground we  developed for the children in the salt fields.