Ｗｏｏｄ　Ｃｒａｆｔ　Ｓｃｈｏｏｌ　　　ＥＳＫ　Ｐｒｏｊｅｃｔ　

Devastated by the rise to power of the “Khmers Rouges” regime, since 1975, Cambodia has been struggling to rebuild itself, balloted between military and political strife and unrest. Today, peace and security are ensured but poverty is still widespread. Currently, 35 to 40% of the population lives below the poverty line.

The Future

Reducing the level of poverty is a real challenge and relies on sustained economic growth: job creation is a primary concern and depends on the development of new sources of growth, combined with a fairer sharing of the countries riches and resources.
Our wood craft school project is a viable response to this problematic situation.

Wood, one of the countries natural resources, is the object of deforestation that is damaging for the environment and often illegal. It is mainly sent abroad in the form of rough timber and when it reappears in the form of manufactured products (doors, stairways, furniture, etc…) on the local market, it is rough-planed or destined for quality goods that are crafted by cross-border workers.

In Cambodia, there are both the natural resources and the consumer needs but the skill and know-how are lacking.

The solution for the future consists of training Cambodians to:
Acquire skill and know-how in wood crafts,
Control the transformation of their own resources
In the aim of
Helping them to find an employment that will allow them to remain in their home region 　　
Encouraging them to exploit the forest in a better regulated and more economical way
And most of all enabling them to send their children to school with their own means

Restauration de l'école d'Ampil, décembre 2001

The 　Wood　Craft　School

The project’s ambition is to create a Wood Craft School for young boys and girls between the ages of 15 and 20, from the ESK association’s centres for children, in particular, as well as for children in the care of other associations. The apprenticeship will be provided by Khmer trainers and completed by training teachers, voluntary professionals from France. In France, there is a great tradition and skill in this field, passed on from generation to generation. This transmission can go beyond borders.

Project Support

The project has received the full support of the Cambodian Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, especially in regard to the validation of diplomas, as well as the support of the Ministry of Work and Professional Training. The level of the diploma is approximately equivalent to the French CAP (Certificate of Professional Aptitude), adapted to Cambodian needs and scope and later on the DMA (Diploma of Arts and Crafts).

The Teaching Program

Training is envisaged to be an alternating combination of theoretical and practical training for classes of 15 apprentices. It will emphasize the work with wood (carpentry, furniture making), knowledge of different woods and their drawbacks and advantages as well as the descriptive geometry. The teaching of design and industrial concepts, the awareness of an intelligent exploitation of resources and eventually the specific teaching of French will also be combined with the apprenticeship of classic carpentry techniques.

The teaching program will be defined with the help of professionals and, ideally, will be divided into approximately 3 month periods in order to take into account the availability of trainers and maintain the motivation of apprentices with alternating periods of practical training.

In the long term, the creation of an artisan’s cooperative resulting from the School will capitalize on the acquired training in order to establish the first elements of recognition of this know-how and self-fund the School (at least partially). In keeping with a durable development process, the training will include the training of Cambodian trainers.

Réparation du mobilier scolaire d'Ampil

The Project’s Means

The team

Kénory You, President of ESK, Head of project
Michèle Saysombat, Reneral Secretary of ESK, Responsible for the teaching aspects of the project
Audrey Ameline and Ange Moray, in charge of the projet’s communication, sent on mission in summer 2005 to carry out complementary ground studies.
François Pointereau, CIRAD, Expert in forestry resources
Nathalie Lacour, Relay in Japan for the project.

The partners

Cabinet Maupard Fiduciaire, Accounting firm
Masahiro Watabe, Architect, Integrator of ecological concepts, Nagasaki, Japan
Srun Hor, Director of a carpentry workshop at Kompong Speu in Cambodia
Training of trainers: Lycée François Mansart (wood), La Varenne St Hilaire 94, Lycée Leonard de Vinci (wood), Paris 15ème

The budget

Ground: Srun Hor or purchase
Construction of the school, workshop, bedrooms for trainers, dormitories for interns in 2006: 50 000 USD
Initial equipment: 10 000 USD
Annual running costs: 12 000 USD
Construction of a show-room in 2009: 25 000 USD

Origin of the funds

Soluscope, in Marseille
Charity events organized by ESK
Amalydes, friends of former pupils of the Lycée Descartes in Phnom Penh
Sponsoring of apprentices, to cover the running costs
Complementary actions in development (foundations, public organizations …)

Murs, charpente, escaliers, huisserie, clôture, mobilier, manches d'outils et combustible :
le bois est omniprésent dans le mode de vie cambodgien.

The Driving Principles behind the Realization

Respect for the environment

The construction will correspond to the ecological concepts applied to building, by avoiding a simple transposition of unsuitable western-style buildings: circulation of the air to keep inside rooms cool, dry toilets with the use of sawdust and recuperation of compost for cultivation, the use of solar energy
A module of the teaching program will be particularly dedicated to the environment and to the protection of the forests
The left-over wood from the production of furniture could be recycled for the making of utensils or toys.

Simplicity

In the adequation of the project with the local, climatic, cultural and social context (rural lifestyle)
In the way of reducing the implementation, running and upkeep costs Ex: no state of the art technology machine
In the manufacturing process

Adaptability of the training program to

Facilitate interventions by foreign trainers
Maintain the motivation of the apprentices by the progressive acquisition of skill and know-how which will be alternated with periods of professional practice
Allow the apprentices to handle the monsoon period

Durability

Outlets on the local market, boosted by the sustained growth of the building industry, sustained by the development of tourism
Research into exterior outlets backed by partnerships with designers

Continuity with social action: the apprentices will be recruited in priority from among the young in orphanages and child　　　　
　　　　　　　　 centres supported by associations.

Calendar of Implementation

April to June 2006

Finalization of the partnership with the carpentry workshop

August to December 2006

Contract with the constructor
Construction

October to December 2006

Training of the teachers

Early 2007

Opening of the school

Contacts

　In 　France

Cabinet Maupard Fiduciaire, 18 rue Jean Mermoz, 75018 Paris　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Patrick Maupard, Managing Director 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Jean-Philippe Illiassov, manager for associations
Soluscope, 43 Bd de la Banière, 13010 Marseille　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Bernard Mariotti, Managing Director
Lycée Léonard de Vinci, 20 rue Bourseul, 75015 Paris 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Mme Lecherbourg, Director
Lycée François Mansart, 25 ave de la Banque, 94211 La Varenne　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Dominique Tanguy, Head of Works

　In 　Cambodia　　

SE Kol Pheng, Minister of Education, Youth and Sports
SE Nhek Bun Chhien, Minister of Work and Professional training
Srun Hor, Director of the carpentry workshop at Kompong Speu

In 　Ｊａｐａｎ

Nathalie Lacour-Daiguji, Relay in Japan 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Ｅ-ｍａｉｌ：mｊn@melissajapan.co.jp
Masahiro Watanabe, Architect, Integrator of ecological concepts, Nagasaki, Japan　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Ｅ-ｍａｉｌ：watabe@bon-arch.jp