Cambodia: Romeas Haek Primary School Project
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Please click here for the Project Proposal
Please click here for the Project Newsletter Update
OVERVIEW
Access to a form of education is a basic human right. For some children who are less privileged, this is not always a right afforded to them. This right is especially important in a developing country with a recent war-torn history like that of Cambodia. Educating its youth will be critical for the future of this country and its growing economy.
Romeas Haek Primary School is an extremely poorly resourced school in rural Cambodia in need of urgent support. The school is located in the Romeas Haek Village, Ampil Commune, Romeas Haek District, Svay Rieng Province, and is 200 km east of Phnom Penh (capital of Cambodia) and 5 km from the Vietnam border. The village is located in a remote area which already lacks most modern amenities, like clean running water.
Approximately 265 families of Romeas Heak village and neighboring Sre Rousie village live near the school and the local pagoda. The local school was established just after Khmer Rouge ended in 1979. The school was originally in a local home and then transferred to the local pagoda. The building we see today was erected around 1995, and over the years has started to decay and fall apart. Currently, they have one classroom (wooden) for Grade 1 and 20 students (7 girls and 13 boys) attending the school. The other classroom (bamboo) in the building lacks a stable ceiling and is not in use due to safety concerns for the children. There is one teacher for the students and he has been teaching in this community for the last 10 years. Students go to school Monday through Saturday from 7am to 11am.
As mentioned, the Romeas Haek Primary School is a poorly resourced school in an old building and does not have a toilet, access to clean water, a library, or school materials for the students, etc. Students who are attending class are currently using the toilet and well of a nearby local pagoda. These poor resources have contributed to a decrease in student attendance year after year. At one point there were 40 students attending this school, double the current attendance.
STAR Kampuchea and Volunteer Action for Cambodia are committed to working with this local village community in building and developing a proper school building for its children.
VISION
The new school building will create a stronger community and sustainably develop human resources in a less advanced region of Cambodia. An increased focus on proper education will also contribute to the reduction of poverty here and in surrounding local communities.
MISSION
To provide children in Romeas Haek and surrounding communities equal access good quality education through building two safe classrooms to learn and study, a comfortable library, two clean restrooms, and access to safe drinking water.
EXPECTED PROJECT OUTCOME
1) Build two classrooms
- School will then have the ability to expand to reach more students
- Allow for the increase of student attendance
- Afford the children of poorer families access to education
- Offer classes for 2nd and 3rd graders
- Create a safe learning environment, void of any building hazards
2) Build one library
- Children will now has access to appropriate educational books and reading materials
- Access to learning how to read the Khmer language
- Reading is the foundation of continuing further education
- Children in more remote areas of rural Cambodia will receive equal access to a library
3) Build two restrooms and well
- Access to basic human hygiene
- Prevents students exposure to the spread of common illness
- Clean drinking water at school
- Ability to take clean drinking water back home to families
- Protect the environment of the school
- Ensure female students feel safe and secure while using the restroom facilities
We aim to have an education system in place at Romeas Haek that is comparable or equivalent to other primary schools in Cambodia.
Please watch the project coordinator and officer provide more insight on the project:
Q&A and status update of the school project
Q1: What has progressed in the last 10 months?
A: Since the start of our involvement in the school project in August 2018, Sreng and Sokleang, two of the program officers, have been busy working on the Romeas Haek Primary School project with help from various volunteers from all over the world.
As part of the mission of this project, we would like the current community to be involved in this project as much as possible and work with locals to bring this vision to life. In December 2018, we created a School Building Committee which comprises of a community chief, the chief of the Buddhist pagoda, participants of the ministry of education for Romeas Haek district, and more. This committee is responsible for working with the Cambodian team throughout the duration and completion of this project; they are also involved in the fund raising of the school.
In March 2019, we cleared the land where the new school will be built. We have completed the water mission form and are processing the request for the school’s water mission. This will allow for clean access to water for the students who attend the school on a daily basis. Looking forward, we anticipate the building to start to be built in early 2020.
Today, we are still fundraising for this project through various channels and have started a GoFundMe website to grow awareness. We have been grateful to work with a number of international volunteers that have worked with Volunteer Action for Cambodia for this project over the last 10 months.
We are able to fund the new school building given the generosity of supporters like you.
Q2: Are we on target for finalizing the schools construction plans?
A: We are targeting for the structure to start to be built by early 2020 once we have received enough funds to continue the project. The builders estimate the building will take approximately three months to build from start to finish. We are currently on track thanks to the funds already received from various international supporters like you.
Q3: Why can’t the Cambodian government fund the school building?
A: There are some government officials involved in the school process, providing support and feedback. The government itself cannot fund the school building because there is no budget for this school building. The local School Building Committee has applied to the government several times over the years for the funding for a new school building made of concrete.
The Cambodian government does not currently have any plans to support this school project. We are hopeful that once this first school building is built (two classrooms, one library, two restrooms, and a well for clean water), the government will see the local community utilize this educational space well and will give way for further support on this project and others.
Q4: How many families are affected by not having a proper school?
A: In the small villages of Romeas Haek and Sre Rousie, there are approximately 265 families impacted by the lack of a proper education system for their children. Currently there is only one small classroom in use for 1st Graders (20 students, 7 girls and 13 boys). We hope that this new school building will allow for more children to be able to go to school in Grades 2 and maybe 3.
The school is extremely poorly resourced in a very old decaying building, does not have a toilet (students must walk to a nearby Buddhist Pagoda to use the restroom now), no clean water, no library, no proper school materials, etc. There is only one teacher at this school and he has been teaching at this school for 10 years. There is also currently no clean drinking water at the school and even some students do not have clean drinking water at home. The lack of resources and education supplies has led to a severe decline in student attendance every year, which is incredibly disheartening for the future of this community.
We are very hopeful that when this new building is completed more local families will decide to send their children to this new school. There will no longer be a concern for the safety and wellbeing of their children. The School Building Committee also highlights that the parents will be happy to have their children study near home and not have to travel.
Q5: What is the approximate breakdown of expenses?
A: The current proposal is for two classrooms and a library (approximately $20,000), two restrooms outside the school, one for girls and one for boys (approximately $1,000), a well for clean water (funded via the water mission). This does not take into consideration any costs for school supplies, books, pencils, new chalkboard, etc. We have raised awareness through supporters in the US, other local schools, and local communities to raise approximately $7,500 already. We are need approximately $12,500 more to fully fund this project.
Photos from May 2019
School Building Committee with Sreng (Project Coordinator) in the classroom
School Building Committee with Sreng outside the school
Wooden classroom
Back of the school with the local pagoda in the right
Front window to the classroom
Dangerous aluminum roof is rusty and broken
Building ceiling of rotting wood and aluminum
Land for the new school is cleared and leveled
Group photo of some supporters from the US (February 2019)
Please click here for the Project Newsletter Update
OVERVIEW
Access to a form of education is a basic human right. For some children who are less privileged, this is not always a right afforded to them. This right is especially important in a developing country with a recent war-torn history like that of Cambodia. Educating its youth will be critical for the future of this country and its growing economy.
Romeas Haek Primary School is an extremely poorly resourced school in rural Cambodia in need of urgent support. The school is located in the Romeas Haek Village, Ampil Commune, Romeas Haek District, Svay Rieng Province, and is 200 km east of Phnom Penh (capital of Cambodia) and 5 km from the Vietnam border. The village is located in a remote area which already lacks most modern amenities, like clean running water.
Approximately 265 families of Romeas Heak village and neighboring Sre Rousie village live near the school and the local pagoda. The local school was established just after Khmer Rouge ended in 1979. The school was originally in a local home and then transferred to the local pagoda. The building we see today was erected around 1995, and over the years has started to decay and fall apart. Currently, they have one classroom (wooden) for Grade 1 and 20 students (7 girls and 13 boys) attending the school. The other classroom (bamboo) in the building lacks a stable ceiling and is not in use due to safety concerns for the children. There is one teacher for the students and he has been teaching in this community for the last 10 years. Students go to school Monday through Saturday from 7am to 11am.
As mentioned, the Romeas Haek Primary School is a poorly resourced school in an old building and does not have a toilet, access to clean water, a library, or school materials for the students, etc. Students who are attending class are currently using the toilet and well of a nearby local pagoda. These poor resources have contributed to a decrease in student attendance year after year. At one point there were 40 students attending this school, double the current attendance.
STAR Kampuchea and Volunteer Action for Cambodia are committed to working with this local village community in building and developing a proper school building for its children.
VISION
The new school building will create a stronger community and sustainably develop human resources in a less advanced region of Cambodia. An increased focus on proper education will also contribute to the reduction of poverty here and in surrounding local communities.
MISSION
To provide children in Romeas Haek and surrounding communities equal access good quality education through building two safe classrooms to learn and study, a comfortable library, two clean restrooms, and access to safe drinking water.
EXPECTED PROJECT OUTCOME
1) Build two classrooms
- School will then have the ability to expand to reach more students
- Allow for the increase of student attendance
- Afford the children of poorer families access to education
- Offer classes for 2nd and 3rd graders
- Create a safe learning environment, void of any building hazards
2) Build one library
- Children will now has access to appropriate educational books and reading materials
- Access to learning how to read the Khmer language
- Reading is the foundation of continuing further education
- Children in more remote areas of rural Cambodia will receive equal access to a library
3) Build two restrooms and well
- Access to basic human hygiene
- Prevents students exposure to the spread of common illness
- Clean drinking water at school
- Ability to take clean drinking water back home to families
- Protect the environment of the school
- Ensure female students feel safe and secure while using the restroom facilities
We aim to have an education system in place at Romeas Haek that is comparable or equivalent to other primary schools in Cambodia.
Please watch the project coordinator and officer provide more insight on the project:
Q&A and status update of the school project
Q1: What has progressed in the last 10 months?
A: Since the start of our involvement in the school project in August 2018, Sreng and Sokleang, two of the program officers, have been busy working on the Romeas Haek Primary School project with help from various volunteers from all over the world.
As part of the mission of this project, we would like the current community to be involved in this project as much as possible and work with locals to bring this vision to life. In December 2018, we created a School Building Committee which comprises of a community chief, the chief of the Buddhist pagoda, participants of the ministry of education for Romeas Haek district, and more. This committee is responsible for working with the Cambodian team throughout the duration and completion of this project; they are also involved in the fund raising of the school.
In March 2019, we cleared the land where the new school will be built. We have completed the water mission form and are processing the request for the school’s water mission. This will allow for clean access to water for the students who attend the school on a daily basis. Looking forward, we anticipate the building to start to be built in early 2020.
Today, we are still fundraising for this project through various channels and have started a GoFundMe website to grow awareness. We have been grateful to work with a number of international volunteers that have worked with Volunteer Action for Cambodia for this project over the last 10 months.
We are able to fund the new school building given the generosity of supporters like you.
Q2: Are we on target for finalizing the schools construction plans?
A: We are targeting for the structure to start to be built by early 2020 once we have received enough funds to continue the project. The builders estimate the building will take approximately three months to build from start to finish. We are currently on track thanks to the funds already received from various international supporters like you.
Q3: Why can’t the Cambodian government fund the school building?
A: There are some government officials involved in the school process, providing support and feedback. The government itself cannot fund the school building because there is no budget for this school building. The local School Building Committee has applied to the government several times over the years for the funding for a new school building made of concrete.
The Cambodian government does not currently have any plans to support this school project. We are hopeful that once this first school building is built (two classrooms, one library, two restrooms, and a well for clean water), the government will see the local community utilize this educational space well and will give way for further support on this project and others.
Q4: How many families are affected by not having a proper school?
A: In the small villages of Romeas Haek and Sre Rousie, there are approximately 265 families impacted by the lack of a proper education system for their children. Currently there is only one small classroom in use for 1st Graders (20 students, 7 girls and 13 boys). We hope that this new school building will allow for more children to be able to go to school in Grades 2 and maybe 3.
The school is extremely poorly resourced in a very old decaying building, does not have a toilet (students must walk to a nearby Buddhist Pagoda to use the restroom now), no clean water, no library, no proper school materials, etc. There is only one teacher at this school and he has been teaching at this school for 10 years. There is also currently no clean drinking water at the school and even some students do not have clean drinking water at home. The lack of resources and education supplies has led to a severe decline in student attendance every year, which is incredibly disheartening for the future of this community.
We are very hopeful that when this new building is completed more local families will decide to send their children to this new school. There will no longer be a concern for the safety and wellbeing of their children. The School Building Committee also highlights that the parents will be happy to have their children study near home and not have to travel.
Q5: What is the approximate breakdown of expenses?
A: The current proposal is for two classrooms and a library (approximately $20,000), two restrooms outside the school, one for girls and one for boys (approximately $1,000), a well for clean water (funded via the water mission). This does not take into consideration any costs for school supplies, books, pencils, new chalkboard, etc. We have raised awareness through supporters in the US, other local schools, and local communities to raise approximately $7,500 already. We are need approximately $12,500 more to fully fund this project.
Photos from May 2019
School Building Committee with Sreng (Project Coordinator) in the classroom
School Building Committee with Sreng outside the school
Wooden classroom
Back of the school with the local pagoda in the right
Front window to the classroom
Dangerous aluminum roof is rusty and broken
Building ceiling of rotting wood and aluminum
Land for the new school is cleared and leveled
Group photo of some supporters from the US (February 2019)
Co-organizers (2)
Joseph Ferreri
Organizer
New York, NY
Yong Sreng
Co-organizer