Vorn Savy has dedicated a large part of his life to education. After years of working with young boys and girls, he is now a principal of a Primary School in Battambang Province. Set in the middle of rich farmlands, Anlong Mean school provides education to the children of plantation workers. These families established their community in 1999; chasing farming opportunities offered by the area’s fertile soil. Education in communities like these is vital, especially for young girls. According to (UNDP), in rural Cambodia, their attendance in primary and secondary school is only 33 percent.

Recognising Mr. Vorn’s dedication, Cambodia’s Ministry of Sport and Education encouraged him to become involved in coaching. Through these activities, ISF’s Football Programme team selected him to take part in social impact training. Our curriculum, which addresses relevant social issues through the medium of sport, was created in partnership with Coaches Across Continents (CAC). This integration of education and fun has impressed him most. 

Vorn Savy graduating Social Impact Training

Reaping the Rewards of Social Impact Training

His proudest moments as a coach have been seeing his students play football—happy and in solidarity. For Principal Vorn, the true power of the programme is couching social lessons in play.  Remarking, “I like the games. Those fun games raise a lot of social issues with the purpose of instruction. Such as teaching gender equality, teamwork and so on.”

Other Anlong Mean School teachers are also impressed with the system. They see the games and activities ISF shares as fun and inspiring for children. During the project, they’ve noticed participants developing social competence and becoming more interested in social issues. Mr. Vorn hopes they can use these skills to become healthier. And keep them away from drugs and criminal activity to grow up leading healthy adult lives.

Anlong Veng students learning gender equality and teamwork lessons

Personal Growth Through Conscientious Coaching

Before becoming involved in the programme, Mr. Vorn admits he didn’t feel comfortable advocating for girls’ right to play. Though, after completing the social impact training workshop, he recognizes that they play just as well as their male counterparts.

He also identifies there are many barriers to girls who want to play football. Stating, “First, it’s their families who don’t want them to play football… [But] the biggest challenge is society, I think.”

While he acknowledges these challenges, he remains hopeful for cultural change in the future.  “I think the mindset is getting old and will disappear soon”