Project profile

Know & Grow 

A key focus of the McCleskey grant is to identify and develop youth as leaders, capable of undertaking Peer to Peer SRH education in the Boarding Houses aided by contemporary technology.  This initiative will result in girls having more knowledge about their life choices, and youth will have the opportunity to grow in confidence, leadership, oral communication, presenting, listening, team work, problem solving, self-disciple and planning, representing many of the key 21st Century skills the K & G project is seeking to develop in the project target population.  A by-product of this approach is that youth, when informed and given additional and alternative life choices, and when motivated and empowered will contribute to the demand for change, away from the harmful practice of adolescent marriage and pregnancy.  Additionally, Peer Educators in Boarding Houses will be encouraged to provide support and information to out-of-school youth in their communities.

Concentrating on gender and diversity aims to narrow the gap between the ethnic minority population and Khmer population of Cambodia, through improving communication and life planning, as well as the social status of ethnic minority adolescents through positive changes at school level and social relations between males and females. Whilst the K&G project is focusing on gender equality and student diversity in teaching and classroom dynamics, the McCleskey grant will elevate gender and diversity in importance in relationships in Boarding Houses.  It is intended that developing youth as leaders will encourage Peer to Peer education in Boarding Houses to include critical issues for Cambodian youth, SRH, gender equality, drugs, alcohol, HIV, sexual harassment, sexuality and safe sex, whilst challenging the power differential between male and female Khmer youth and youth from minority groups.

Objective

The overall Purpose of McCleskey is to empower marginalized ethnic minority adolescents, especially girls, so that they have expanded life choices in multiple spheres including economic, social, and health including sexual and reproductive health. 

Key activities

The focus of the McCleskey Grant is intended to augment the sustainability of the K & G project and project activities include:

• A computer laboratory

• Training of 21st century skills to Core Trainers

• Career counselling training

• SRH education of Youth.