Accommodation plans for disabled students in Cambodia
Marist Solidarity in Cambodia is planning a new residential village to provide accommodation that will enable students with disabilities to access schools and tertiary education.
People with disabilities are among Cambodia’s most marginalised people. They are often stigmatised within their communities and living in extreme poverty, without access to education.
Disabled students graduating from the Marists’ LaValla School, and other nearby schools and universities, require residential accommodation because their homes are very far away.
Currently, these students live in residential boarding facilities, like the Marists’ Villa Maria hostel.
But finding suitable accommodating for these students is becoming increasingly difficult, and there are issues of overcrowding.
Marists at LaValla have had to lease houses—some with steep stairwells that are not suited to the specialised needs of disabled students, to alleviate accommodation pressures.
Too often, however, these challenges are too great, and some students give up on their education.
To help students succeed, Marist Solidarity Cambodia has secured 1.4 hectares of land adjacent to the LaValla School in Kendal province, on the southern outskirts of Phnom Penh city.
Plans for a village, with purpose-built accommodation, are now underway to support these students and encourage them to persevere with their education.
Initially, six self-contained cottages will be constructed. Each cottage will house ten students and be designed to reflect the simplicity and functionality of province life.
Common areas will include cooking and dining spaces, tuition and study rooms, a library and computer centre. There will also be an infirmary, recreation space and administration offices.
The new village will be partially operational in 2016, and once completed, will include ten homes to accommodate up to one hundred students.
Cottages will also include a small plot for cultivating vegetables and fruit.
In addition to growing their own fruit and vegetables, students will operate a small farming project to develop their agricultural skills and build self-reliance.
Local families will manage the village, and mentor students, encouraging them to participate in leadership roles within the residence.
With your support, Marist Solidarity can offer some of Cambodia’s most disadvantaged young people not just a home, but an opportunity for life.
Help us make a big impact on the lives of young people with disabilities by supporting our 2015 mid-year appeal.