Jesuit Service Cambodia continues its Storybook Effect with its two latest books written by its authors Seap and Ponkhaka.
Chork goes to school, written by Seap, is about a little boy who was very lazy about his studies and with keeping his belongings tidy. He tended to sleep late and was always rushing to get to school in time for class. One day, he learned a lesson. As usual, he was in a hurry to go to school because he had slept late. He could not find his shirt and when he found it, he wore it upside down. He could not find his bag, which his dog was playing with. He was in a hurry so he left for school without saying goodbye to his parents. When he arrived at school, everybody laughed at him because he wore his mother’s shoes, and forgot to put on trousers. What do you think he felt? Happy? Of course not.
Ponkhaka’s book, I can do it, tells a story that shows how the Khmer word “eat” is used different ways by different people. This story tries to encourage children to want to learn, to know more, ask more, listen more and note what they are learning.
The two young authors have written 140 books for children since the project began in 2005.
The Storybook Effect is part of an education programme run by Jesuit Service Cambodia. Storybooks are produced for children and then distributed through mobile libraries to rural villages in various parts of Cambodia such as Phnom Penh, Kandal, Kampong Speu, Kampong Chhnang, Siem Reap, Battambang and Sisophon.
The stories cover a broad range of topics – the environment, sanitation, gratitude, Cambodian culture, children with disabilities, and even cleaning teeth. Attractively designed and illustrated, they invite children to open them and read.
Children love these books and eagerly await the new arrivals in their village libraries. The book-writing project was born when JS Cambodia’s Metta Karuna village workers spoke of the need for books so that children could read new stories and retain their literacy skills.
“Buddhist monks visiting the Metta Karuna Reflection Centre say these are the best books in Cambodia for children. As well as being interesting and fun they convey good values to charm the imagination of children,” said director of Jesuit Refugee Service Cambodia Sr Denise Coghlan RSM.
For more information on Jesuit Service Cambodia, go to www.jesecam.org