Pursat, Cambodia – The Drifting Bodhi.

Meaning drifting bodhi, Pursat is the Khmer word for bodhi, which is the tree where Buddha became enlightened. 'Sat' comes from 'Rasat' meaning 'to float'. Pursat is the fourth biggest province in Cambodia, located in the western part of the country and in line with its namesake, there are several floating villages in the region.

The fourth-largest province of Cambodia in area, Pursat ranks only 14th in population and is home to only about 3% of Cambodia's total population. The climate is tropical and the economy largely consists of agricultural farming, fishery, rice and fruit cropping in the North of the province near the Tonle Sap Basin. Forests cover approximately 58% of the province.

Tuktuk has been supporting the education of children in Pursat, Cambodia, since 2014 and is strongly connected to the province. We do not run our own school or teach children ourselves but instead, work with the State School teachers directly, ensuring that our impact will continue long after we leave Pursat.

Education/Poverty in Pursat

 Pursat is less developed than many other provinces in Cambodia. Over 28% of the population live under the poverty line, while the national average is 19.8%. Education statistics of Pursat show that 13.6% of the adult population is illiterate. All countries, regardless of their national wealth, stand to gain from more and better education. According to a recent OECD report, providing every child with access to education and the skills needed to participate fully in society would boost GDP by an average 28% per year in lower-income countries and 16% per year in high-income countries for the next 80 years.

Our mission at Tuk Tuk is - "To empower teachers and increase educational opportunities for disadvantaged communities in early childhood education.”

COVID and Tuk Tuk in Pursat, Cambodia

Cambodia has been affected heavily by COVID in 2020/21. With some of our classrooms having up to 75 students to one teacher 😱, social distancing was not an option. Schools have been shut on and off for large periods of time since March 2020.

Like many charities, the social and financial impact of COVID has reduced the gains we have worked so hard to achieve. Funding has been diverted from charities like ours to help tackle the pandemic however, education, in this social distance environment is even more crucial today than a year ago.

By joining the Krousah, your financial support enables TukTuk to continue to create digital resources that can get into the hands of teachers that need them most. This is particularly important in the current environment.

TukTuk relies on the generous support of volunteers, sponsors and donations. 100% of donations to TukTuk is used for the benefit of Cambodian early childhood education. We will continue to support Pursat and other provinces in Cambodia in 2021 and beyond.