By Ms. Sopheavy, Project Facilitator in FIDR Cambodia Office

Change is the act or result of something becoming different. In many cases, change challenges us to step outside our comfort zones, confront obstacles and embrace the unknown. Positive change is not easy, the greater change the more difficult, especially change in management and leadership skills. Nutrition Education and Promotion Project (NEPP) has been working closely with school principal of target schools in Srei Santhor District, Kampong Cham Province, Cambodia. As the year passed, we notice some remarkable changes of a school principal, who has improved a lot compared to the beginning.

Mr. Suor Phon, who is currently 57 years old, working as the school principal in Mann Dob Primary School. He started teaching in 1984 at Kang Meas Primary School and then 2 years later, he was promoted to become a secretary. In 1991 he moved to teach at Thmor Da Primary School meanwhile he was also a business man who worked related building construction. In 2013, he moved to Mann Dob Primary School, becoming deputy school principal and 5 years later he was promoted to become school principal until now.

When he just became the school principal, Mr. Suor Phon faced many difficulties because he lacked of skills and experiences pertaining school management. He did not know everything about guidelines or policies from Ministry of Education Youth and Sports (MoEYS), especially related to school health. Moreover, he was low-tech and had limited ICT (Information and Communication Technology) skills. He himself knew that he is not talented in management, however he is a working hard person, has commitment, responsibility, accountability and dedication. He motivated himself by saying that “If my staffs walk, I have to run, I have to step before them”.

After becoming school principal for a year, in late 2018 FIDR came to support Mann Dob Primary School. FIDR had been sowing some seeds to fill his missing parts in school management such as ideas, materials, knowledge, technology and encouragement. Before, most of the tasks he thought “It is impossible” but FIDR illuminated him to see more options of his impossible thoughts. Then, he started stepping out from his comfort zone gradually. Plus, he has willingness to follow guidelines of MoEYS thus, with a little support from FIDR and mobilized resources from community, he could develop the school as his desires.

Although, not all his attempts are immediately changed, it took some years to achieve. For example, school health and nutrition were new to him when FIDR introduced these topics. To become a model school for health, they have to implement school gardening, provide nutrition education, manage waste in school, and set up a health education room and Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) facilities, etc. It was not easy to develop but school principal was interested, and he had commitment to do it. Unfortunately, the teachers had limited knowledge and materials to implement however school principal always encouraged teachers to join training every time. After 2 years, he could implement WASH and health education, following by 3 years with health education room and 4 years with composting and school gardening. Even now some components were not well-operated but he tried to improve gradually.

Mr. Suor Phon

School gardening

Health education class

Another example is about technology. Before 2018, Mr. Suor Phon used to write report or process document by handwriting. When working with FIDR, he started using computer, his ICT skill was limited, he always asked for help from others. However, he always joined training with FIDR, after receiving training, he tried to practice again and again. Now he can prepare document in computer, create slide presentation and being more confident when presenting. In 2023, when receiving computer from donors, there was no any human resource as an IT teacher in his school, so he arranged schedule and taught what he knew to students such as Khmer typing, use MS. WORD (how to set margin, enter, space, etc).

Mr. Suor Phon make presentation in meeting

Computer class taught by school principal

Furthermore, Mann Dob Primary School confronted challenge with waste management. There was no waste separation, trash was dumped everywhere and they burn waste inside school area. In 2022, after receiving training related to composting and waste management, the school principal concerned about waste problems, thus he discussed with School Management Committee (SMC) and created waste management rules. He also encouraged student council to watch over and punish those who did not obey the rules. As a results, the school environment become cleaner but still need to maintain regularly. Moreover, he can control unhealthy food inside the school, although for 2 years before achieving the school vendors scolded at him a lot because they were not satisfied when he was strict and informed students not to buy their unhealthy foods. He did not care about those insulting words, he just ignored and kept following guidelines from MoEYS. Last year, he could control unhealthy foods successfully, the school vendors inside the school also collaborated to sell healthy foods and manage waste properly.

Burn waste inside the school

Waste management rule

Clean environment

In 2023 FIDR saw a lot of changes and improvement, we asked Mr. Suor Phon if he can prepare his school for visitors from other schools or not. He immediately rejected “No, we have nothing for them to visit” but FIDR encouraged him “Your school is unique, you have health education room, composting site, waste management rules, etc while others still not have”. This encouragement strengthened his mind and confidence so he decided to arrange study visit. The first study visit was students of Japan Red Cross College of Nursing (JRCCN), the school was well-prepared more than expected, he had good hospitality, all teachers participated together very well and he was more confident for the next study visit.

JRCCN students visit Mann Dob Primary School

Nowadays, school principal can manage the school better than before. Teachers are more obedient, having more involvement, improving their discipline and they aware the necessary of school health. Plus, students enjoy learning health education due to teaching materials, they help to clean environment and improve their health behavior. In addition, school principal has future vision that he wants the school become a comfortable place and develop into the child friendly school.

Ideal school environment for health education of Mann Dob Primary School