A CHILD’S SMILE

Cambodia, a country where half the population is under 18 years old, was ruled by Pol Pot from 1975 to 1979, killing approximately 2 to 3 million citizens. The land of smiles and kindness had disappeared after the genocide of the Khmer Rouge. People who survived had a fierce will to live. Poverty in Cambodia remains a major issue, with 37 percent of Cambodian children under the age of five living in a constant state of malnutrition. 90 percent of Cambodia’s 4.8 million poor live in rural areas. At least 12 percent of these people are landless. The average household income is less than 100$ a month.

The current situation in Cambodia particularly discriminates against girls who are sometimes even sold from the age of six onwards, provided they are not first destined for prostitution, which has developed at an alarming rate in recent years.

Though Cambodia exports a surplus of rice, many rural families remain short on food for themselves. Many families live in very precarious conditions of unhealthy accommodation and very low incomes. This leads to food deficiency, addiction and abuse.

For this documentary, Jerome Dolbert wanted a subject that would be directly linked to the human being. An extraordinary human adventure in Cambodia, filming young girls who found their way back to life and smile through education. I was always fascinated by Cambodia and its history. Here, my intention was to give new insights into women’s and children’s situation in the rural areas. Most of the time, women are still confined to the daily activities in the fields.

According to Dolbert, the current situation particularly discriminates against girls who are abused or sometimes even sold from the age of six onwards, provided they are not first destined for prostitution. The prostitution has developed in a scary way in recent years. Public schools have half-time courses in over-crowded classes and girls are often turned out of the school system at the end of primary school.

It is this reality that Jérôme Dolbert wanted to show. He also covered the lack of medical follow-up for most of this population.

When the Khmer Rouge leaders invaded the country, about 50 years ago, they targeted the intellectuals and all the spectacle wearers were exterminated. Same for those who could speak a foreign language or were educated. The country lost about 90% of its intellectual population. Today, half of the population is under 18 years old and Cambodia is slow to recover. This generation is missing.

Educating Cambodian youth is saving them from an often bleak fate. In the world, out of 900 million adults who cannot read or write, two thirds are women. This means millions of women don’t have the means to fight against forced marriages, sexual or domestic exploitation, honor crimes, prostitution.

Numbers that speak for themselves. In 70 countries around the world, most girls are placed in the labor market from childhood. A girl who has not received an education has 80% more risk of being forced into marriage, being sexually exploited, suffering from domestic violence, or raising malnourished and illiterate children.

International experts are unanimous: girl’s education is one of the biggest issues today. In countries where girl’s education progresses, infant mortality and high birth rates go down and the pandemics are controlled better. An educated woman can, in turn, educate her children.

“Because women are responsible for the education of their children, it is essential to give them a good education. In this way they will transfer values of peace, of openness and of tolerance to future generations. This is the only way to fight the barbarianism and regression which affect millions of women and children in the world.”

Tina Kieffer – A French celebrity who is also the founder and President of “Toutes à l’école”

Happy Chandara School, founded by “Toutes à l’école” in 2006, has an objective of training young girls to be able to have decision-making jobs in the future. Some will be doctors, teachers, judges, and entrepreneurs.

It is for all the above reasons that “Toutes à l’école”, a French association, chose to develop a high-level schooling system for under-privileged girls, to be able to help them become free women and educated mothers. Happy Chandara, a school of 1400 students was created in 2006.

“Toutes à l’école” has developed a high-level schooling system for under-privileged girls to help them become free women and educated mothers.

With the lack of healthcare education, many preventable diseases go untreated. In the case of eye disease, this can lead to unnecessary blindness. The leading causes of blindness in Cambodia are cataracts, uncorrected refractive error, glaucoma and corneal scarring, all of which can be corrected with treatment or surgery. However, the cost is o en prohibitive.

“Pour les Yeux du Monde” was established by a man with an extraordinary career: Dr. Phat-Eam Lim. He was born in 1961 in Phnom Penh and had to see the genocide au Cambodge in April 1975. He was accepted as a refugee in France and learned a new language, a new culture. He attended public school in Amiens, boarding school in Paris, and received a medical degree in ophthalmology.

He returned to Cambodia in 2002 after 27 years of exile. He saw the ravages of a civil war and genocide that eliminated one-third of the population, including all health professionals. He understood the importance of the Mekong River and bought a cattle transport boat in 2005. He transformed it into a boating ophthalmology clinic, complete with examining rooms and an operating unit. It has been a great success.

Correcting vision at a young age is incredibly important for a child’s education and overall health. It is hard to study and stay in school if you can’t see!