The 7th workshop and the 12th Tukbook

The final workshop -1- 👶👧

As time flies, the CLIP3 project is gradually nearing its final stages. This 7th workshop marked the end of our regular series, and to commemorate the milestone, we held a special two-day session packed with extended content and a distinguished guest speaker.

We were honored to welcome Ms. Kaori Masuda, a longtime expert in early childhood education in Japan and now a key partner of Cambodia’s Ministry of Education. Drawing on her extensive experience, Ms. Masuda delivered an insightful lecture on engaging with young children and understanding their developmental stages from birth to age five.

Because our previous sessions didn’t dive deeply into these topics, this workshop provided a much-needed opportunity for teachers to reflect on how specific activities can support different areas of child development. We believe this will be a valuable reference as they continue using TukTuk’s teaching materials in the classroom.

Many teachers shared that they found the lecture refreshing and eye-opening, and that they now feel more inspired to apply these developmental insights in their everyday interactions with children.

The final workshop -2- 🕺

Following Ms. Masuda’s inspiring lecture, we wrapped up the final session of our computer training on worksheet creation and introduced some exciting new teaching materials from TukTuk. So far, the teachers have learned how to create seven different types of worksheets—and we’re confident they now have the skills to combine these techniques and develop their own original, creative materials going forward.

As part of the materials introduction, we unveiled TukTuk’s 12th original picture book, I’m Not Just Rubbish, along with a set of related classroom tools (you can read more about the book below 👇).

We also introduced a new rhythm exercise designed to support brainstem development—the foundation of brain growth in early childhood. This activity was inspired by Ms. Masuda’s lecture and brought to life by a very special instructor: Milly! With confidence and charm, she demonstrated the rhythm routine she had learned at a kindergarten in Japan, helping the Cambodian teachers visualize how their own students might participate.

In fact, one teacher was so inspired, she tried the exercise in her own class the very next day!

It was a truly meaningful two-day workshop for everyone involved—including all of us at TukTuk. 💛

Khmer of the month

Khmer Word: Chek

August 27 is National Banana Lovers Day! 🍌

We all know bananas are healthy—but here in Cambodia, they’re so much more than just a nutritious snack. Bananas are an essential part of daily life, with many different varieties enjoyed across the country. And it’s not just the fruit that’s used—banana flowers are commonly eaten, and the leaves serve all sorts of practical purposes, from wrapping food to decoration.

So if someone asks you, “Nham chek te?” (Do you want to eat a banana?), don’t hesitate! Say yes, explore the variety, and experience a slice of Cambodia’s vibrant banana culture. 🍃🍌🌸

Khmer Food: Moan Ling Chek Khchei (Banana chips with fried chicken) 👇

Our 12th picture book is here! 🚮

We unveiled our latest picture book, 'I'm Not Just Rubbish,' during the recent workshop!

This book was created to help children in Cambodia start thinking about environmental issues and recycling—topics that are especially important in a country facing serious waste problems. In the story, characters like plastic bottles, cans, plastic bags, and paper teach children how they can be reused instead of being thrown away.

All of the more than 140 craft ideas we've created, including the ones shown in this book, use everyday materials—many of which are usually considered trash. With just a little creativity, those items can be transformed into fun toys!

We hope this book inspires not only preschool classrooms, but also families at home, to enjoy making toys together while learning the value of recycling.

Voluntuker spotlight | Oscar & Maggie

These past few months have been a time of many meeting with Voluntukers. Last month, we were happy to welcome Oscar and Maggie! In fact, Oscar had joined us as a Voluntuker from 2019 to 2020, staying for about nine months. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he had to return to his home country unexpectedly. After all these years, we were finally reunited—and it was a long-awaited and joyful moment!

What are you currently doing for work? We’re both teachers at the British School of Bucharest, working in different sections of the school. Oscar teaches Media Studies to sixth-form students (K12), while Maggie works in the primary department with Year Six.

(To Oscar) What brought you back to Pursat? Ever since the pandemic forced my sudden departure from Pursat - leaving behind nine months of memories without a proper goodbye - I’ve wanted to return. Although this visit was much shorter, it gave me the chance to reconnect, witness how TukTuk has evolved, see what’s changed (or stayed the same) in Pursat, and reflect on the work I did five years ago.

(To Maggie) What was your impression of Cambodia (or Pursat)? The warmth and friendliness of the people made our trip truly memorable. I loved everything, from the ancient historical sites to the smaller cities we explored. It was an unforgettable experience.

What did you do at TUKTUK?

• Oscar: I helped refresh and update the marketing materials for the TukTuk branch of the charity.
• Maggie: I helped prepare resources for the upcoming teacher workshop (lots of laminating).

Since it had been such a long time since we last saw Oscar, all of our staff had been looking forward to their visit for quite a while. It was just before our workshop, so everyone was quite busy and didn’t have much time to sit down and chat, but we’re hoping they’ll come back again for a longer stay next time 😊

We are currently looking for volunteers with the following skill sets to help TukTuk bring educational resources to Cambodia;

• Google Ads
• Fundraising
• Website Development
• Videographer

If you want to get involved or know someone with skills that could help us spread positive education in Cambodia, hit that link below and say hi (we're friendly, we promise). 😉

Get Involved ⇢

Tuktography highlights 📸