Last week, we received a very special visit. Angie, director of the Poipet kindergarten; Bondol, the nurse who works at both the school and the residential home; and Carmen, Mother Superior of the Congregation of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, travelled from Cambodia to spend a few days with us.
It was an opportunity to reunite, reflect on everything we have built together and, above all, sit down and talk about the current situation of the projects, the needs of the children and the challenges facing the Poipet community today.
At Fundación MAGA, we believe in going back. In returning to the places where we work, listening to the people who are there every day and seeing first-hand how each project is progressing. These visits help us understand what is working, what new needs have emerged and how we can continue to be useful. This is how we work: by staying close, keeping in touch and supporting our projects over time.
Poipet is one of the best examples of this approach. In 2009, we launched the kindergarten together with the missionaries, and we have followed its progress closely ever since. Angie began as a teaching assistant and is now the director of the centre. Meeting her again and hearing her talk about the children, their families and the future of the project allowed us to see very clearly just how far we have come.
Today, the kindergarten provides education and care for around 70 children between the ages of three and six each year, while 25 young women connected to the residential home are currently pursuing university degrees or higher vocational studies.
The kindergarten has classrooms, a staff room, toilets, a kitchen and a playground. The children receive education and family support, while also learning essential lessons about hygiene, nutrition and agriculture. They are provided with three meals a day and spend their time in a safe and caring environment. After completing this stage, they have the opportunity to continue their education at Don Bosco School.
The residential home for teenage girls is located on the same site. There, the girls find a home, stability and the support they need to continue their education. Many come from families with very limited resources or from environments where family responsibilities and the need to work make it extremely difficult to remain in school.
Both projects share the same purpose: to ensure that growing up in difficult circumstances does not limit a child’s opportunities. Behind the figures are children who can attend school every day, eat well and grow up in a protected environment, as well as young women who are now reaching university or pursuing further education.
During the visit, Angie, Bondol and Carmen also told us about the difficult situation Poipet is currently facing as a result of the conflict between Cambodia and Thailand and the closure of the border.
Poipet is a border city, and much of its economy depends on the movement of people between the two countries. Many residents used to cross the border every day to work in Thailand, while numerous local businesses also relied on people travelling to the city, particularly in connection with its casinos.
With the border closed, many families have lost their jobs or their main source of income. This makes it even harder to meet essential needs such as food, housing, healthcare and education. When a family is in such a vulnerable situation, children become more exposed to dropping out of school, child labour, begging and a lack of protection.
Hearing about this reality directly from those experiencing it helps us understand the current situation more clearly. We want to continue supporting the kindergarten and the residential home, while also exploring new initiatives with the missionaries that can respond to the needs now emerging in Cambodia.
During their stay, they also visited Viña Eguía, experienced part of the grape harvest and explored the historic cellars of Conde de los Andes. There, they visited the Fundación MAGA cellar and discovered Poipet, one of our charity wines. They were delighted to see the name of their city on one of our bottles and to learn how this wine helps us keep our connection with the project alive.
We are left with an even stronger desire to continue moving forward together. For us, a project does not end when a classroom is built or a residential home opens its doors. It continues every day through listening, supporting and finding new ways to help wherever the need is greatest.
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