Living in the rural village of Phnom Bak, Cambodia, Manut’s parents worked hard to pay for their son’s education. But despite all their efforts, he was still missing out. They couldn’t afford to pay for extra classes, and Manut was rapidly falling behind those who could.

But then Manut began attending a course at the local Community Learning Centre (CLC), a member of the Fe y Alegria movement in Cambodia. Here, he could take classes on computers, English, Khmer traditional dance and art, as well as environmental studies – all things that were lacking from his regular schooling.

“I love going to school now. I enjoy research and learning new things.”

Manut

Now, Manut has big dreams for his future. He wants to become a teacher and help others discover their love of learning, just like he did thanks to Fe y Alegria and our generous supporters.

A cruel irony

In rural Cambodia there’s a cruel irony. Many of the country’s marginalised children are excluded from the education their future depends on:

• Just 8-10 percent of Grade 5 students achieve minimum reading and maths proficiency.
• Amongst the poorest families a mere 17 percent complete lower secondary school.
• Only 36 percent of children between three to five years old are enrolled in early education.

Fe y Alegria

Founded by Jesuit priest, Father José María Vélaz in 1955, Fe y Alegria – which translates as ‘Faith and Joy’ – targets inequality and exclusion at its core by transforming broken education systems from the ground up.

By empowering students, families and entire communities to become agents of their own development, the movement creates lasting change that goes far beyond external support.

The Fe y Alegria Movement has already transformed education for 1.5 million students worldwide, particularly in Latin America and Africa.

Three years ago, a large donation from a benefactor allowed us to bring this innovative education movement to Southeast Asia for the very first time, launching in Cambodia.

“Improving education takes more than just training teachers. We must invest in promoting community spirit,” says Father Mark Lopez SJ, Director of Fe y Alegria Cambodia. “The sense of community is the seedbed for quality education. This is the heart of what Fe y Alegria brings to Cambodia.”

Find out more about Fe y Alegria

Manut featured in our 2026 February Appeal.