Happy Mayday
May 1, 2021
TukBooks & Our Debut Storybook | A New Chapter
June 14, 2021
RAINY SEASON IS HERE!☔
The rainy season came early this year and Cambodian villages are already being hit by stormy weather and some damage to homes. Fortunately for Pursat, we've yet to see any terrible damage.
The rain in Cambodia is refreshing and gives the country a cool, green touch. Many people, including us, prefer the rainy season due to this beautiful transformation of dust fields into lush green rice fields, not to mention the reprieve from the heat.
With lockdowns in place all around the world and now the rainy season for us, it's the perfect time to sit back and read a newsletter 😊
Adrian & Mayu 🦘👘
CONTINUED SCHOOL CLOSURE... 🤔
Two months have passed since the latest school closures with no firm dates yet when they will reopen. Vaccination is progressing rapidly throughout Cambodia and the provincial education officials have said, by August, educators including non-profit's in Pursat, may be able to get the jab. The hope is to vaccinate the majority of people by the end of the year so that life can go back to a new normal.
We had an online meeting with the educational officers and principals who participate in the CLIP project recently. We were informed that one of our target schools has become a quarantine place. Distributing worksheets is of course not possible from the school in this area with the rise in COVID cases.
However, online lessons are still a challenge, and using worksheets seems to be the best for the teachers right now. There are many challenges for educators currently as they try to adapt to each new progression as it arises.
BY LISTENING TO THE VOICES FROM TEACHERS 👩🏽🏫
TukTuk's worksheet is the most active resource during school closure. Since April, we have been placed at the educational offices as well as copy shops but even after May, many pictures of children are doing that were sent from teachers who actually use them. It really gives us a lot of encouragement.
We also have been received requests from teachers about new worksheets, so while receiving ideas from the teachers in Pursat, we are currently creating new Khmer language and Khmer number worksheets one after another.
The opinions from the teachers who actually teach in the school are very helpful for us because they have a different perspective than we do.
KHMER OF THE MONTH
Khmer Word: Aupouk / Maday
June 1st is International Parents Day. Father's day is coming right after Mother's day of last month. This Khmer word for "Father" and "Mother". Most Cambodian people take good care of their families and they usually say 'thank you' to their parents naturally. Would you like to express your gratitude to your parents?
Khmer Food: Pong Moan Ang (Grilled egg)👇
THE AMAZING MOMENTUM OF SOCIAL MEDIA 😲
We mentioned in our past newsletter that Facebook shares had already passed 100 for one post. In May, more and more people are accessing our local Facebook page and we are seeing improved popularity with over 900 shares!
We have received worksheet inquiries from those living all over Cambodia, and the introduction of our teaching resources on another organization's Facebook page, has seen our resources distributed further than ever.
The number of new subscribers to TukTuk's YouTube channel is also increasing. We encourage you all not only to take a glimpse at our Facebook, Instagram (it's under maintenance but you can watch soon...!), and Twitter but also to check out our Youtube Channel♪
LET'S WASH YOUR HANDS🙌
It's no secret that every Cambodian has a Facebook account (or 3). But you might not realise the power of collaboration that can occur due to the ease of finding and talking to like-minded people and organisations.
HappyTap, a Singaporian organisation, reached out to us recently through Facebook. One of their Cambodian staff had seen TukTuk's daily activities on Facebook and he offered us some support. In May, they delivered 20 portable hand washing stations for our target preschools to use.
When school reopens, the kids will be healthier and cleaner with thanks to Happy Tap. The pandemic has risen awareness about the importance of handwashing in Cambodia, and we hope that this knowledge will transfer from school to home.
VOLUNTUKER SPOTLIGHT | EMILY
TukTuk has a lot of talented voluntukers in the past. One such volunteer was Emily, who volunteered to create music videos and puppet shows for about five months in 2019. She has now rejoined our family as a virtual volunteer!!
This past month or more, she has helped to do voice recordings for seven TukBooks including four previously completed picture books and three scheduled to be published soon.
Her wonderful acting ability and intriguing narrative brought life into our books. Thank you for your big support, Emily!
We are currently looking for volunteers with the following skill sets to help TukTuk bring educational resources to Cambodia;
- Google Ads
- Fundraising
- Marketing
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, promise).
Get Involved ⇢
TUKTOGRAPHY HIGHLIGHTS 📸
