BOOKS AND BALLS AMONG CAMBODIAN RICE FIELDS

PHNOM PENH – The Inter Campus visit to Cambodia ended today and it was also a visit to the children of the school founded by Mission Possible, an NGO that has been a Nerazzurri partner since 2012. The school, built and managed by Mission Possible, is in Roong, a small and isolated village nestled in the rice fields outside the capital of Phnom Penh.

The houses in Roong and the nearby villages are wooden huts with roofs made from tin or palm leaves. There are no bathrooms, and the beds generally consist of a mat on the floor underneath a mosquito net. The only water source is a small, unsanitary pond that is also used for bathing, laundry and providing water for cows and other domestic animals.  Before coming to the association, the children could not go to school here. The closest one was several kilometres away, with a very dangerous ride needed to reach it. The only alternative for the hundreds of children of the village was to give up on any possibility of study and go to work in the fields along with their parents. 

Since 2006, Mission Possible and its elementary school have been looking after these children’s education, and Inter Campus has contributed by consistently organising sporting and educational activities for their curriculum.   A few days ago the Mission Possible middle school was inaugurated. President Gerry Testori explained that it also came about from the request of the children, who expressed their desire to be able to continue learning and studying while being looked after by the association and its teaching staff.

The inaugural ceremony took place in a festive atmosphere in the presence of all the kids, their families and local authorities.  The result was the perfect occasion for the handing out of the new shirts, a highly anticipated event for the children every year. Then a fun-filled afternoon followed with games conducted by coaches Gabriele and Paolo, who came from Milan to meet everyone and provide further courses for local coaches Samrech, Kia and Lin.  

10.10.2014