Poor infrastructure in public schools, particularly in rural areas means that Cambodians living there risk being left behind the digital literacy movement that is growing around the world. According to the Minister of Post and Telecommunication only 30% of Cambodians have sufficient knowledge of digital literacy.

With IT education becoming increasingly important in most industries, basic IT and job hunting skills programs will prepare students for success in the job market. Graduates will speak English and have the skills required to find employment. For those graduates wanting to study further, they will have the opportunity to attend our main center in Phnom Penh where they can study higher level 'Academy' subjects whilst simultaneously pursuing a bachelors degree on the weekends.

Another major development issue in Cambodia that this project seeks to address is inequality in the workplace and also in terms of access to education. Due to widespread poverty in Cambodia parents have limited resources to send their children to school and will typically prioritise the boy's education over the girl. For AHHA Education, empowering girls through education is one of the missions and there is a high percentage of girls enrolled (65%).

In Stengkeo Commune, there are 8 villages and 4 public schools with a population 7,828, however there are no facilities or educational programs providing IT education. A lack of IT facilities and qualified teachers in the commune, means that most of those students will face digital illiteracy and struggle to pursue higher studies or higher skilled work. This center would provide life-changing exposure to technology and education that leads to employment for 200 of our existing students. AHHA Education also currently teach English in the pagodas and in the public schools. These relationships with the community would be very valuable in developing the project further to reach a much wider impact.

Moreover, AHHA Education runs learning centres sustainably and financially independent. They do this by charging a low cost monthly fee of around $6.25 or less, depending on the context and the community. On this project site in Kampot, they also plan to offer low cost services to the public at our multimedia center, such as printing and translation services. This is both an investment to improve the infrastructure in Mleachkol village and also a way for the center to generate some income and cover its overhead costs.