Happy Chandara School - Cambodia

Founded in 2005 by French journalist Tina Kieffer, Happy Chandara School stands as a beacon of hope in Cambodia—a country still healing from the scars of the Khmer Rouge genocide. Operated by the NGO Toutes à l'école, this free girls' school near Phnom Penh educates 1,350 disadvantaged girls aged 5 to 25, nurturing them from kindergarten through university with one transformative mission: to forge free, empowered women who will shape their nation's future.

The school's achievements are extraordinary. Year after year, Happy Chandara boasts a 100% high school diploma success rate—a remarkable feat given that every student comes from severely disadvantaged backgrounds. Students compete on international stages, including the prestigious ICIA and Technovation Girls competitions, blending STEM excellence with the confidence built through sport and holistic education.

What sets Happy Chandara apart is its profound commitment to wellbeing as the cornerstone of education. Physical education is mandatory five days a week from kindergarten through Grade 12, complemented by weekly mindfulness, yoga, and meditation sessions. The school employs full-time psychologists, runs an on-campus medical and dental centre, and provides two boarding facilities for girls facing dangerous home situations. Student voice drives real change: a Grade 11 student-led initiative partnered with AZAHAR NGO to deliver peer-led mental health workshops, while staff advocacy led to a comprehensive bus system serving the school's 370 employees.

The "Green Canteen" project exemplifies the school's innovative farm-to-table philosophy, serving 2,500 organic meals daily sourced from on-campus agroecological farms established in 2016. This initiative feeds students while teaching sustainable agriculture, food security, and environmental stewardship—connecting nutrition directly to ecological responsibility.

Happy Chandara's impact radiates far beyond its walls. The school rebuilds dozens of dilapidated family homes annually, distributes food baskets in exchange for plastic collection, and welcomes boys from public schools every Saturday for academic support and lessons in gender equality. Deep partnerships with the Cambodian Women's Crisis Centre, village leaders, and government hospitals create a seamless safety net addressing domestic violence, mental health, and family crises—resulting in measurable reductions in violent parenting and sustained school retention despite family adversity.

Safety and preparedness are institutional priorities: every staff member receives annual Red Cross first aid training, and biannual emergency drills involve the entire community. Two purpose-built 268m² gymnasiums and modular sports courts host everything from basketball tournaments to self-defence classes designed to challenge local gender stereotypes.

Should Happy Chandara win the Global Schools Prize, funding would expand agroecological production from 25 to 77 tonnes yearly, scale mental health services to reach 675 students, grow the boys' education programme from 50 to 100 participants, and launch a University of Health Sciences partnership to address nutritional deficiencies in kindergarten girls.

For twenty years, Happy Chandara has proven that combining learning, healthcare, nutrition, and compassion transforms vulnerable children into tomorrow's ruling class—a living testament that holistic wellbeing isn't a luxury but the very foundation of meaningful education.