The Mekong Kampuchea Kids (MKK) Project supports education programs on Vocational Training skill (TVET), 

Project Goal

The main goal is to integrate and help support the street children and OVC back into the mainstream Cambodian society and provide better quality of life for them.

Project Objectives

In order to achieve the objective of this project, MKK has set up six main goals:

• To develop a competent professional skill-set within the youth that gives them the ability to contribute to community processes; thus realizing self-determination.
• To successfully reintegrate vulnerable street children and other marginalized youth back into the educational system.
• To improve and further the useful skills of people who are socially disadvantaged, which leads to greater life opportunities.
• To emphasis a greater value and realization of a good education and future for children by strengthening the participation of local community members.
• To build upon staff capacity in order to improve performance within project positions.
• To generate support and income of BSDA’s social enterprises that make the MKK project sustainable.

Rice Field Kids Village

The vocational training will enable students to develop professional skills that are most sought after in the local economy. This will help them find higher paying jobs, so they can support themselves and their families. In the long-run, better wages will eventually lead to poverty reduction in the communities.There are 3 main activities in the center such as preparatory school, vocational training skill and aftercare program.

Preparatory School

Before they start their apprenticeships, the students attend preparatory classes for three months including mathematic, geography, Khmer literature, biology, social awareness raising, basic economic analysis, self-confidence, english language and computer, hygiene, organic farming, Integrity and morality education to provide students with basic education, life skills and soft skills.

Vocational Training skill (Hospitality, moto repair, air condition repair, sewing)

The students receive theoretical lessons at the center practice their skills at Smile Restaurant (and later at the Hanchey eco retreat center) for hospitality or at partners businesses for moto/air condition repairing and sewing in the form of apprenticeships. They also learn organic farming so they will be able to grow their own healthy food in the future at home. Every group will study for a 18 months period.In order to make the students feel safe and encourage them to focus on their studies, we provide basic support. The students stay at the Rice Field Kid’s Village where they sleep in dorms and are provided with food, an allowance and transportation. On arrival, a nurse will conduct a general health checking and after that we will follow up and treat all those kids in case by case should they encounter physical or mental issues.

Aftercare

After graduation, BSDA’s aftercare program helps the students to find full-time paid work. Our staff work closely with authorities, communities and businesses partner to identify opportunities and successfully place the graduates at a job. BSDA also provides small loans to students who want to start up a business after graduation. Before we give out the loan, we assess the prospects of the business being successful in the future and the likelihood of loan repayment.