The Battambang Education Project provides education opportunities to young people from very poor families in nine provinces in Northwest Cambodia.

75 percent of Cambodia’s population of 16 million people live in rural areas, with families struggling to grow enough food crops to survive. They are exposed to the exploitative practices of middlemen and farm-implement providers.

In addition, some farmers have to take loans, putting up their land as collateral, and end up losing their farm when they cannot repay the loan.

Many parents cannot afford to send their children to school and prefer them to help with the farm or earn some income. Approximately 60% of the country’s population is aged 25 years and below, but only 28 percent of primary school students go on to lower secondary school and only half of these go on to upper secondary school.

In addition, with Battambang Prefecture’s proximity to Thailand, many parents cross the border to work, leaving their children behind, at risk of trafficking and neglect.

Thanks to kind supporters like you, Jesuit Mission can assist the Battambang Education Project to ensure a better future for Cambodian youth from marginalised families by providing access to education, supporting parents in putting their children through school, and forming the young people holistically so that they can contribute to building a just, open and free society.

The project provides scholarships; training in areas such as leadership, psycho-social and environment; counselling; accommodation and essential services for the most disadvantaged students aged 12 to 24.

It runs six hostels across the prefecture for students from remote villages. These hostels provide not just board and lodging, but learning facilities and guidance under a supervised student-formation program.

“The support of Jesuit Mission has been critical to the development and success of our education project,” says Msgr Enrique Figaredo SJ, Apostolic Prefect of the Battambang Prefecture. “It has made education possible for hundreds of youth in Battambang Prefecture, and we will always be grateful for the tremendous support extended.”

“The support of Jesuit Mission has been critical to the development and success of our education project. It has made education possible for hundreds of youth in Battambang Prefecture, and we will always be grateful for the tremendous support extended. We hope for our continued partnership, without which it will be impossible to continue our shared work on this scale.”

Msgr Enrique Figaredo SJ, Apostolic Prefect, Battambang Prefecture

Orphans or youth abandoned by their parents are given priority, as they are deemed the most vulnerable. Other students in the program come from very poor families, with none or few of their siblings having finished Grade 12; or from villages that are very far away from schools or universities, or those who do not have relatives they can stay with near the schools. All of the hostels now have more young women than men.

Pili’s Story

“I am happy that I have a chance to help my community. I can help them through my teaching and my knowledge.”

Pili

Like 90 percent of Cambodians who live with the burden of poverty, Pili grew up in a rural area. Her parents worked hard as farmers to enable her to go to school, but by Grade 5 it was becoming difficult to continue her education.

Thanks to the generosity of people like you, Pili received a scholarship to attend the Jesuit-supported Taehen Student Centre, one of the six student centres in Northwest Cambodia run by the Battambang Education Project in partnership with Jesuit Mission Australia.

For Pili, her scholarship was life-changing.

“When I lived at home, I didn’t have the confidence to talk or share my ideas with others,” Pili says. “Living at the centre I grew in confidence. I enjoyed staying and studying with my friends. I felt the centre was my second home.”

Dedicated to her education and her community, Pili completed tertiary studies in Phnom Penh then returned to take a paid role working in the office of Apostolic Prefecture of Battambang.

She also began volunteering at the Taehen Student Centre, sharing her knowledge and skills with the next generation of students.

Pili then went on to earn a Bachelor of Accounting and Finance, and in 2023 completed a leadership course. Coming full circle, she recently started a new job as Project Manager of the Battambang Education Project. It’s a role she absolutely loves, and she’s proud to be a leader at the very program that transformed her life.

Now the primary breadwinner for her family, Pili’s story is a clear example of how the support of people like you can transform a young person’s life and help them become a powerful force for change in their family, community and country.

Education is key to delivering hope and transformation to communities whose lives have been upturned by conflict and war.

Since the military coup in February 2021, Myanmar has been in a state of humanitarian crisis. In April 2024, the military junta commenced compulsory conscription for all young men (18-35) and young women (18-27), triggering new levels of turmoil as young men and women attempt to flee the country.

Even while democratic elections were permitted from 2015 up until the coup, war and violent conflict continued in Kayah, Southern Shan and Kachin States and within many other areas home to Myanmar’s Indigenous groups.

Today, over one third of Myanmar’s population (56 million) is living in extreme need. More than 3 million people in Myanmar are displaced – these women, men and children have been forced to flee their homes. Access to basics like education, healthcare and employment are severely limited.

For families living in crowded Internally Displaced People (IDP) camps, education for children is a major concern. With repeated displacement, and no end to the conflict in sight, many parents are worried about ensuring their children have access to formal education.

“The presence of [our local partner] is a symbol of hope to all of us trainees and the suffering neighbourhood IDP children and residents.”

James, a student from the IDP camp

With the generous support of our Australian community, Jesuit Mission is supporting our local partner in Myanmar to provide access to safe and quality education for over 3,700 children living in IDP camps. Whilst also providing emergency relief such as medicines, shelter, food and clothing.

With a key aim to minimise disruption and reduce barriers to accessing quality education experienced by displaced children and youth, the program trains and supports teachers and education leaders to improve education strategies, and learning spaces, materials and content. 

Myanmar’s youth face major risks; in the academic year 2023-2024, only 5.8 million children out of 13 million school-aged children enrolled at basic education schools nationwide. The coup has severely disrupted the country’s economy, and employment prospects. Additionally, pervasive human rights abuses and violence have left deep scars within the population.

The classes allow young people to gain self-confidence and motivation to continue their education, so that they have the opportunity for a better future. Recognising the long journey toward reconciliation in Myanmar, the program also provides psycho-social support and peace building initiatives.

Ko Kyaw’s Story

Families living in the crowded slums of Yangon can barely afford daily food and essentials, let alone send their children for basic or additional education classes. Their homes are small and often poorly constructed, many don’t have electricity or sufficient lighting to allow students to complete homework and study in the evenings.

To support these children to complete their education and lift themselves out of poverty, our local partner runs a number of well-lit evening study and tuition centres.

Staffed primarily by volunteer teachers like Ko Kyaw, who have their own life-challenges, the study centres are giving hope and a chance to some of Myanmar’s poorest and most excluded children to improve their futures.

“Here we have 40 students, whose parents are day-labourers and many cannot pay for tuition,” Ko Kyaw says. “The students are eager to learn and I pray for a brighter future ahead for themselves and their families.”

Read more about the escalating crisis in Myanmar and Jesuit Mission Australia’s emergency response. 

 

Located in central Myanmar, St Aloysius Gonzaga (SAG) Institute is unifying communities and fostering opportunities through education that bridges ethnicity, faith and generations.

Myanmar has been enveloped in war, civil unrest, deep-rooted ethnic tension, oppression and poverty for decades. Even though the country had a short time with a democratic government in this Century, the long period of oppression left a legacy of entrenched, widespread poverty, displacement, and under-resourced healthcare and education.

Since the military coup in 2021, Myanmar has been in a state of humanitarian crisis. In April 2024, the military junta commenced compulsory conscription for all young men (18-35) and young women (18-27), triggering new levels of turmoil as young men and women attempt to flee the country.

Now, over one third of Myanmar’s population is living in extreme need. More than 3 million have been forced to flee their homes, while access to basics like education, healthcare and employment are severely limited.

For over two decades, our local partners have accompanied Myanmar’s youth to navigate paths beyond the crossroads; opening up the doors to opportunities, transforming their futures and reaching out to enable others to do the same.

With support from our Jesuit Mission Australia family, our local partner runs St Aloysius Gonzaga Institute of Higher Studies (SAG) in Taunggyi, Shan State – reaching and empowering more than 1,300 students every year.

About the program

SAG is located in central Myanmar, and embraces students across many of the country’s ethnically diverse states, including Kayah and Karen. Students are supported to study English, teaching, humanities, social work and leadership – greatly forming and empowering the country’s future leaders.

Many students are supported with scholarships, and those from other States are provided living assistance (food and accommodation). In partnership with international universities and with recognition from Myanmar education authorities, this integrated program offers graduates internationally-recognised qualifications.

“The determination of the young people of Myanmar to build their country is inspiring, and I see it as an opportunity.”

Fr Paul Horan SJ, Australian Jesuit who lived in Myanmar for decades

Exemplifying Ignatian values, students in the integrated program are provided with opportunities to serve in neighbouring communities. And in the third year of studies, students develop a deeper service partnership by teaching English once a week to the eager and active children who live in local Monastic communities.

With support from Jesuit Mission Australia, a major building expansion was completed in 2022, and the enrolment numbers have continued to grow to over 1,300 students. The school also offers a Young Learners’ Programs for children, a Communicative English Learners Program for adults and teacher training that empowered young people to educate others in their community;

Graduates are armed with the knowledge, skills and confidence to be competent leaders in their community. And they are formed with the self-esteem, compassion, conscience and cross-cultural understanding and experience that will empower them to transform their community’s future.

Seng Ra’s Story

22-year-old scholarship student, Seng Ra is one example of an inspiring young person your support has helped.

Before beginning at St Aloysius Gonzaga Institute (SAG), Seng Ra was a shy teenager, unable to speak English or confidently express herself. Now she is just one of the many young people who will go on to create real and meaningful change in Myanmar – starting in the camps for Internally Displaced People, where Seng Ra’s family lives.

The school aims to transform Myanmar society by building the capacity of young women and men, especially those from poor and marginalised communities.

“With this program I can live in a safe place,” says Seng Ra. “I can eat well and I can study well. I don’t need to worry about anything. This program is very important to me.”

Read more about the escalating crisis in Myanmar and Jesuit Mission Australia’s emergency response.