ISF Cambodia Life Skills Programme tackles plastic rubbish and pollution in their Stung Meanchey Community Clean-Up Day 

On the 17th Anniversary of the Coronation of King Norodom Sihamoni, ISF Cambodia (ISF) students from the Life Skills Programme and the Education Programme took the opportunity to conduct an environmental clean-up day in and around the village streets of Sangkat Boeung Tumpun 1, the urban village in which one of the schools is located.

With approval and participation from the Village Chief, Mr Im Suvuth and the Deputy Village Chief, Mr Thach Sinavutha, the students armed themselves with an array of equipment. Wearing masks and surgical gloves and supplied with rakes, tongs, brooms, rice bags, and dustpans, the older students led groups of younger students – filling dozens of bags of accumulated rubbish.

Predominant amongst the garbage and litter was plastic – plastic bags, straws, drinks containers, polystyrene take away food trays, plastic wrap and hundreds of discarded face masks.

Working in eight teams, they progressed through the village streets around the school, often greeted with approval from residents. Multiple further sweeps are needed to clear all the rubbish, and ISF’s Life Skills Programme plans to conduct similar activities regularly.

The school has adopted a comprehensive environmental programme that combines awareness and practice, project-based learning, and community engagement. The clean-up day complements ISF’s environment and sustainability initiatives and adds to the students experiential and project-based learning opportunities alongside the regular school curriculum.

ISF’s Life Skills Programme currently holds two Sunday workshops each month. Before the workshop, the programme hosts specific training with the programme’s facilitators to ensure consistency and standardisation of content and delivery. These teachers and social workers were selected at the foundation of the programme in 2019 and underwent an initial two-day training.

The programme promotes students’ understanding and practice of essential broad life competencies and skills to enhance their opportunities after they leave school. The life skills curriculum focuses on leadership, teamwork, planning and time management, problem-solving and decision making. The programme is structured around three broad themes:

1. “The Head” embodies knowledge and understanding.
2. “The Heart” embodies values and attitudes.
3. “The Hands” embodies practical and work skills.

As part of the Life Skills Programme, over one hundred students also came together to form three environment project teams. The student-led projects cover plastic and general waste management. The students themselves chose the names of their teams:

• “Less Plastic!” focuses on plastic reduction.
• “Keep Cambodia Clean!” focuses on waste management.
• “Let’s Be Green” focuses on training.

During the pandemic, these workshops were moved online. The clean-up day was a chance to work together again and was just one of the school’s many environmental initiatives.