“If we ourselves cannot downsize our lifestyles then the wisest investment we can make is not in stock or commodities. Invest in people: people who possess the courage and fortitude to motivate others to a brighter future. In this way we will foster hope and help ensure a livable planet for our children. If we do not care, then we will be known by future generations as the ‘Selfish Ancestors’: those who had the chance to pull back from the precipice of human and environmental catastrophe, but instead chose to profit in the milieu and watch spinelessly as the world collapsed.”

Alan Scot-Moncrieff, Founder

One idea

Twenty-three dedicated students

Infinite possibility

Founded in 2004 by Alan Scott-Moncrieff, The Global Child (TGC) is a registered 501(c)(3) organization operating in Siem Reap, Cambodia.  The mission of the school is straightforward; offer a wholesome, sustainable future through education in a nurturing and empowering atmosphere to a population of individuals whose dedication and optimism would be otherwise stifled by unspeakable poverty.

Bright, driven, dedicated, and outstanding students are chosen from a burgeoning population of underprivileged children living in abject poverty on the streets of Cambodia.  Cambodian children can typically earn several dollars a day begging, selling postcards, or collecting recyclables.  Even a free education is too costly to poor families who rely on their children for a source of income.  The Global Child supplants this pressing need to work on the streets by offering students with $1 per day of school attended, thus allowing students to continue to support their families while investing in their future through education.

Twenty-three students are divided into three attend school 6 days a week from 8 a.m. through 5 p.m.  Subjects include English, Khmer, Mathematics, Science, Social/Cultural Studies, Computer Skills, World/Khmer History, Geography, Ethics and Manners, Conversation, Debate, Business, and Music Theory.  Regular outings are conducted to further students’ education outside the classroom.  Comprehensive health and dental care is provided for all students, including thorough blood tests and relevant vaccinations.  Students are provided with three balanced meals a day, along with dietary supplements specific to each student’s needs.  The Global Child is more than a school; it is a sanctuary for the next generation of Khmer visionaries, lifted up from poverty and provided for so they might succeed in enacting positive change for themselves and their homeland.

Marot, age 12

The everyday reality of Cambodia still lies in the long shadow cast by it’s tumultuous history, which systematically exterminated education and intellectual thought.  Cambodia’s median age stands currently at 21, underscoring the need for a well educated and driven population to fill the void.  The country’s troubled past could lay buried at the hands of the next generation of Cambodians.  Not only their individual future, but the future of their homeland lies squarely in their hands.  Allowing the current neglect towards education and basic human welfare to fester unabated will only contribute to the suffering of Cambodia’s people far into the future.  Comprehensive education can stem the pains of history and usher in a new reality for Cambodia and its people.

Chamroun, age 12

As our students are already at a disadvantage given their difficult past, TGC remains a small organization to give each student the full attention and care necessary to propel them into a successful future.  No student’s needs are left unattended, no concerns left unvoiced.  Support and inspiration of any kind is readily available to each student, both inside and outside of the classroom.  Students at TGC are surrounded by supportive, driven peers, wise, knowledgeable local staff members, and encouraging, inspiring volunteers.

Piron, age 16

Students at TGC have a unique empathy and perspective on the plight of the impoverished, whose ranks they were once part of.  We aim to give our students the tools to pursue a successful and sustainable future.  Although we do not require a period of service to their country in exchange for the tools they are provided with at TGC, we cultivate philanthropic vision and a sense of duty to one’s less fortunate compatriots.  It is our hope that the education our student’s receive will inspire them to reach out to others.  We believe in a hands-up approach to the issue of poverty in Cambodia, and acknowledge that it is Cambodian citizens that understand the issues at hand far more intimately than a foreign organization can.  It is from these citizens that sweeping change will come to Cambodia; we are giving them the tools and vision to be the next generation of humanitarians bringing real change to their country, a change that comes from within and inspires national independence and sustainability.

Sreymum, age 14