“The School of Dreams”, in Cambodia sports and art shape the future of hundreds of kids
The fight against school dropout, child labor and child malnutrition: these are the three cornerstones of the “School of Dreams ” project by Avintavé , supported by Intesa Sanpaolo through the Formula Program , in collaboration with Cesvi. The initiative has allowed the inauguration today in Cambodia of a basketball court and a classroom dedicated to music, art and computer science in the Hun Neang Boeng Trabaek Khang Koeut primary school in Phnom Penh .
The project, selected within the Banca dei Territori Division led by Stefano Barrese , was supported through a fundraising campaign active from September to December 2024 on For Funding , Intesa Sanpaolo's crowdfunding platform dedicated to environmental sustainability, social inclusion and access to the job market for people in difficulty . In four months, over 100 thousand euros were raised thanks to the generosity of citizens, businesses and the Bank itself, which actively participated by contributing two euros for each of the numerous products purchased by customers online.
Avintavé is a volunteer organization active in the capital Phnom Penh. In 2023, it started an assistance program for 125 children who come from families living in situations of social and economic degradation in a slum in the city district of Chomkamorn , where the public primary school Hun Neang Boeng Trabaek Khang Koeut is located. In the last period, Avintavé has guaranteed food support to the families and the construction of a canteen equipped with a kitchen, on a plot of land adjacent to the school, where the children involved in the program have returned to regularly attend classes .
With the funds raised for the “School of Dreams” program, it was possible to increase the daily distribution of meals and snacks, school and hygiene kits, and donate 10 kilos of rice per month, thus reaching 128 students between the ages of 6 and 12 who attend the public primary school in Phnom Penh and their families . In addition, the school was expanded, now more welcoming and inclusive with ten new classrooms equipped with multimedia whiteboards, a basketball court and a small theater, which allow us to offer a complete educational, recreational and sports program, including computer science, dance, singing, acting and mini-basketball courses. The recreational, sports and educational activities have been extended to all of the approximately one thousand students at the school.
The project contributed to the priority challenge of integration and social cohesion , an objective of Intesa Sanpaolo, which positions itself as an institution at the service of the country to promote a more equitable society, for the benefit of inclusive social growth.
"Thanks to the extraordinary generosity of Intesa Sanpaolo and its customers, Avintavé has been able to take a new, important step towards the well-being of the most fragile and needy children in Phnom Penh," says Sebastiano Missineo , president of Avintavé. "A well-being that is not limited to nutrition, but is also built through access to culture, sports, creativity and knowledge. The possibility of attending a computer classroom, of expressing oneself with music and singing, of playing together on a basketball court, represents for these children not only a right but a concrete opportunity for redemption. Each activity proposed is part of an educational and human path that aims to generate hope, trust and awareness. Every smile we see born is the tangible sign of a better future that, thanks to shared commitment, we are making possible."
"Together with Cesvi, we have chosen to accompany Avintavé in this important humanitarian program in Cambodia, thus also going beyond the border, because we are convinced that through concrete commitment, we can help combat serious phenomena such as school dropout, child labor and malnutrition", comments Pierluigi Monceri , regional director of Milan Monza and Brianza of Intesa Sanpaolo. "Our Formula Program promotes a sense of community and solidarity and demonstrates how, by joining forces, we can create value in a targeted and effective way. In Lombardy, we have already supported 40 initiatives with donations for over 4.5 million euros in favor of young people, families, and the elderly for inclusive social growth ".
"Since 2021, the Formula Program has seen us as a strategic partner of Intesa Sanpaolo in selecting the best projects throughout Italy, with the ambition of pursuing sustainable and inclusive changes", specifies Roberto Vignola , Deputy General Manager of Cesvi. " Through Formula , projects are supported on the themes of: emergency and poverty; healthcare support and fragility; social inclusion and community welfare; education, training and orientation; urban and environmental regeneration; and conservation of cultural heritage . To date, we have achieved significant results with over 170 projects. Formula is the demonstration of how the combination of the non-profit and profit worlds can respond to territorial, social and environmental issues, in a targeted and effective manner".
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