The programme of child health-related activities, started back in 2015 and co-financed with the Aquitaine Limousin Poitou-Charentes Regional Council and our partner Solidarité Tiers Mondes Bassin d’Archachon, brought together a mixed French-Cambodian team.

 

It is with great satisfaction that we have seen a true improvement in childrens’ health especially when we look back to the state of health of the children living in the slum area before the creation of Taramana in 2005. Malnourised, often carrying parasites and affected by various chronic infections which impeded normal child growth, the children showed signs of a lack of protein and other elements vital to proper development and growth. Since 2011, when a cantine was first opened at the Centre, the Association has been striving to reverse these tendencies by offering balanced meals. Nevertheless, it was only last year that a truly versatile health project was created with help from our partners.

 

School results on the rise

 

This funding has permitted both the construction of the Centre’s new infirmary , which is expected to open in the the Summer of 2016, and it has also helped the implementation of more concrete actions : enhanced vaccination program, distribution of snacks to children, combined multi-vitamin cures with intestinal deworming, and the purchase of new equipment for the hospital. And the results evident: a dramatic increase of 5% in childrens’ weight with an average size of more than 4 cm for children at the primary school level, fewer gastro-intestinal and cutaneous infectious diseases. In passing, improved educational outcomes for all children have been seen.

 

A new health project on the horizon

 

Prevention and learning about personal hygiene and oral health through education, which is both inexpensive and effective, can be attributed to a perfect cooperation between the Cambodian staff and French workers who are always ready to help out with on-site team training. It’s quite an irony, but not at all surprising at Boeng Salang, that it’s the kids themselves who are actually the ones who end up educating their own parents on specific hygiene measures, such as simple hand washing before meals.

 

So proud of all these achievements, Taramana has decided to start a new health project in line with the first, and let’s hope that it will be as promising as all the others!