SIHANOUKVILLE, Cambodia (Mennonite Mission Network) — Children splashed through the monsoon rains and raced, dripping, into the Peniel (PEN-ee-el) Learning Center in U-Vietnam, a fishing village along the Cambodian coast.
Under the shelter of the tin roof, 10 students gathered to learn. Their warm, sweaty hands formed motions to the song, “This is the day that the Lord has made,” as they tried to out-sing the roar of the rain.
Each weekday, as many as 50 children, ages 8-15, come to Peniel Learning Center, where they learn to read, write, and speak three languages: Khmer (the official language of Cambodia), Vietnamese, and English. Each Saturday, those who choose to come, listen to Bible stories.
The leaders of the school, So Ram Noah, who is a local pastor, with his son, Samuel Ly, and Yuliana Handoyo, a worker for Mennonite Mission Network, are planting seeds of hope.
The fishing village is named U-Vietnam for its large number of Vietnamese immigrants. Although they are famous for their boat-making and fishing skills, “life is hard for them,” said Handoyo.
The learning center started five years ago when So Ram was concerned that there was no school available for the children.
“Parents can’t afford to send them to school, so they learn here,” said Handoyo. The average Cambodian makes $2 a day, while a private school costs $20 per month. There are no public schools nearby, so children often stay at home. The Peniel Learning Center gives the children purpose, a safe place to go, and an education without having to pay for tuition or uniforms.
That’s why it was a shock when, in March, their landlord told So Ram and Handoyo to vacate the building where the school met, in one month. He had already sold the building in order to support his family. Immediately, So Ram and Handoyo began to pray and look for another building. They were determined to find another location for the school.
Their answer came from Chan Reoun, a 62-year-old man who had lived in the fishing village for 30 years. Reoun agreed to lease a small room to the school for $50 month, half of what rent had been.
A week later, plastic chairs, wooden benches, and desks were moved down the street to the new building. Although the space is smaller, Handoyo doesn’t mind. She is thankful for the children.
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Mennonite Mission Network, the mission agency of Mennonite Church USA, leads, mobilizes and equips the church to participate in holistic witness to Jesus Christ in a broken world. Media may contact news@mennonitemission.net.
