150 Scholarships Help Girls Stay in School in Mondulkiri
Targeted support — from bicycles to mentoring — is keeping girls enrolled through the critical lower-secondary years.
For families in remote Mondulkiri, the journey to secondary school can be the single biggest obstacle to a girl's education. A new KAPE scholarship programme is tackling that barrier head-on.
The 150 scholarships cover far more than tuition. Each package includes a bicycle, a year of school supplies, a small monthly stipend to offset lost household income, and — crucially — a trained female mentor who checks in with each girl every month.
Why mentoring matters
Evidence from earlier cohorts showed that financial support alone was not enough; girls were far more likely to stay enrolled when a trusted adult helped them navigate setbacks at home and at school. This year's programme makes mentoring a core component rather than an add-on.
I wanted to drop out after grade seven to help at home. My mentor helped my family see another path.
Of last year's scholarship recipients, 94 percent progressed to the next grade — a figure that KAPE hopes to match or exceed as the programme expands to two neighbouring districts.