From 26 to 30 May 2025, Sam Vantha is participating in a teacher training organised by the Department of Education, Youth and Sport (DOE), supported by Action Education / Aide et Action (AEA), under the EU co-funded CO-SAVED project. This community pre-school teacher is on a journey to earn trust and inspire learning in her community.
On Monday morning, Sam Vantha stood among fifteen other teachers, her notebook open, eyes focused, and heart full of purpose. The week-long training in Kampot marked her third professional training. But this one felt different. “This is the first time I’ve joined a training with CO-SAVED,” Vantha said with a smile. “I want to learn more about teaching through play.”
Vantha teaches at Damnak Chang Our Community Pre-school in Kep—a school filled with laughter, picture books, and plastic building blocks. But behind the colourful walls lies a deeper struggle—one that Vantha knows all too well. “Before this, I didn’t know how to prepare a lesson plan,” she admitted. “This type of training helps me to improve my practice a lot.”
Throughout the week, Vantha engaged in interactive sessions on how to use manuals, prepare lesson plans, and create self-made teaching materials—essential skills for community pre-school educators working in resource-limited settings. The training was hands-on and collaborative, drawing on the experiences of all sixteen teachers coming from Kep, Kampot, Koh Kong, and Sihanoukville.
From Doubt to Trust: Education is Key
“Some parents didn’t trust me to teach well,” she recalled. “Children didn’t come—also because their parents didn’t believe early childhood education mattered.” But everything changed after one of her students achieved top scores in the national pre-school exams—ranking among the top four in the entire province.
“Since then, parents trust me more because they know I attend trainings, and they send their children to school,” Vantha shared. “Now, some parents know I have good knowledge.”
Supporting teachers like Vantha is a key aspect of the CO-SAVED project in Cambodia’s coastal regions. According to Channy Ann, AEA’s Monitoring and Evaluation Field Officer: “This training is important for community pre-school teachers. Our main purpose is to improve their technical skills—like lesson planning and teaching in the classroom.”
Photo: From left to right: Sam Vantha, community pre-school teacher and Channy Ann, M&E Field Officer for AEA
At the heart of the training lies shared learning and encouragement. For Vantha, the support is deeply personal. “I love my job so much,” she said softly. “Because I love children.”
But support doesn’t come only from NGOs. At the provincial level, people like Nhem Somaly—an Education and Early Childhood Care and Development (E&ECCD) specialist at the DOE—are also deeply invested.
“We support teachers, we train them, we observe them, and we give honest feedback so they can improve,” Somaly explained. “There are challenges, especially for those with difficult backgrounds. But this cooperation with NGOs is very positive. It’s not only about strengthening their capacities, but also their self-confidence.”
Photo: Nhem Somaly—an Education and Early Childhood Care and Development (E&ECCD) specialist at DOE
Today, Vantha is nearly ready to apply her new skills in the classroom, determined to meet national standards and secure the recognition—and improved salary—that comes with them. “When I receive training, I can improve. That makes all the difference,” she said.
She will return to her community pre-school not just with notes and lesson plans, but with renewed confidence and a growing network of fellow educators.
Because real change starts with early childhood education.
Photo: Damnak Chang Our Community Pre-school in Kep
