2018 has been a successful and exciting year for all of us at ISF, in Cambodia. We’ve received international recognition in the form of awards and shortlists for our Football Programme and we’ve welcomed 80 new students into our Catch-up Education Programme as well as seen many students graduate and progress to state school and even one to university. We’re proud to now partner with over 60 NGOs, schools and community organisations and to be part of a growing network that values the importance of education, heathcare and sport in creating positive change in society. As we start the new calendar, we’re reflecting on a year of achievements and successes – and looking forward to what 2019 will bring.

ISF coach Ranya giving it her all during a community football festival. September 2018.

Our achievements this year:

• Catch-up Education Programme: The new academic year started in November 2018 and 218 students, 48% of whom are female, are currently catching up on missed education at our two centres. With 86% of catch-up students progressing to state school last year, we’re confident our latest cohort of students will pass with flying colours. Read more about one particular student’s experience of our Catch-up Education Programme.
• Healthcare and nutrition: On average, we distributed almost 600 food parcels per month to the families of our students. We also provided 2 school meals a day, 6 days a week and offered free healthcare to all our students. Read more about the difference our healthcare is making.
• State School Support: Children who graduate from our Catch-up Education Programme have attained the necessary grade for their age to enable them to enter state school. In 2018, we supported 323 students to go to state school. Learn more about what state school means for our students.
• University Support: In 2018, we supported past student Bungleng to attend university in Taiwan. Bungleng received a 50% scholarship from the university and 50% from ISF. Learn more about his academic journey.
• Community Development: Last year, we worked closely with community and village leaders to make sure our education centres do not exist in a vacuum, but serve to lift up the wider community. We ran adult literacy classes, community and mobile libraries, sewing classes as well as our Soap for Hope project.
• Inclusivity in Sport: In our commitment to developing an inclusive Football Programme, we continued to train our coaches on how to coach players of varying abilities and held tournaments and events for players who are blind/visually impaired, deaf/hearing impaired, wheelchair users, intellectually disabled and those living with HIV. Learn more about our most recent event. Many thanks to the Asian Football Confederation, Coaches Across Continents, Beyond Sport, and FIFA Foundation, among others, in supporting us with this work.
• AIA-ISF Youth League: We celebrated the close of a very successful youth league in June which saw approximately 1,300 players compete over the course of 6 months. Many thanks to our partners AIA Cambodia who are helping us to promote healthier lifestyles among our players and community.
• Beyond Sport Shortlist: We were thrilled to be shortlisted for Beyond Sport’s Sport for Health and Well-being Award 2018. Selected from over 400 applications, from 100+ countries and covering 50+ sports, the shortlist of 35 organisations recognised innovative work creating positive social impact in communities around the world through sport. Our very own past-student and coach Nara was also shortlisted for an award – the Courageous Use of Sport Award 2018 supported by WWE.
• Dream Asia Award: Last year, we took home the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Dream Asia Award 2018 in the NGO category in recognition of promoting and advancing the power of football to create positive social change in Asian society.
• Representing Cambodia Abroad: We were honoured to send not one but two Cambodian delegations of players to events running alongside the FIFA World Cup in Moscow, Russia. The first delegation participated in the 6^th Gazprom Football for Friendship Championship and the second delegation in the 2018 Football For Hope Festival. Eight of our players and two coaches also traveled to Bulgaria in August to compete in the 2018 SATUC Cup in Sofia.

Our Cambodian delegation of players heading to the 2018 SATAC Cup in Sofia, Bulgaria. August 2018.

Thank you to all of our incredible donors, supporters, partners, staff, students and friends who made 2018 such a memorable and impactful year. We hope you’ll join us in 2019 in making a difference, one child at a time, through education, healthcare and sport.

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