Koh Tnaot Primary School is growing. Now with 140 kids and 7 teachers, the rural island community in northeast Cambodia is grappling with limited classroom space. Their small library currently doubles as both a staff room and a meeting space, impacting the kids’ capacity to gain vital literacy skills. Your donation will contribute to the construction of a new reading shelter, empowering current students and future generations to pursue critical further education.

Project Breakdown

Last year, the school identified the need for the reading shelter and has since worked closely with local builders and the Cambodian Rural Development Team (CRDT) to design a structure that effectively supports the children’s learning and well-being. The proposed shelter will be 5 x 5 m, and is intentionally designed to be a sustainable long-term solution that is suitable for the local conditions.

Comparative costing by CRDT of similar completed projects has led to an estimated cost of $9,850 AUD needed for the success of this initiative (link to financial reporting below). That’s where you come in – by contributing to this fundraiser, you can be a part of ensuring hundreds of current and future students have the opportunity they deserve to develop vital literacy skills.

Building on Success

A year ago, we launched a fundraiser for the construction of a much-needed toilet block at Koh Tnaot Primary School, addressing the critical need for improved sanitation. Thanks to the generous support of people like you, the project was successfully completed in April 2024 (see here) and has already made a profound impact for the school community. Students, teachers, and parents have praised the new facilities, which are significantly improving health, hygiene, and educational outcomes for the school community. Building on the success of this project, we need your help to take the next step in improving educational outcomes for the kids of Koh Tnaot with the development of this dedicated reading shelter.

Who are CRDT?

The Cambodian Rural Development Team (CRDT) is a trusted and certified Cambodian-run NGO with a proven track record on localised development. They work to deliver on much-needed facilities for Kratie and Mondulkiri communities in Cambodia’s rural northeast while maintaining and protecting local ecosystems. To date, 77,392 families have been direct beneficiaries of CRDT’s projects, which include the installation of over 10,000 toilets, 50 wells, 12 solar pumps and 5 waste management systems in rural Cambodian villages.

Who are SPBI?

We are a group of 6 Australian-based engineers and engineering students who strive to use our skills and our platform to bring greater attention to the empowerment of disadvantaged communities through small, targeted projects. Born out of a student experiential learning summit in 2023, Small Project Big Impact (SPBI) is our Australia-based fundraising group backing community-identified development projects in Kratie Province, Cambodia.

This project directly addresses UN Sustainable Development Goal 4: Quality Education by improving learning conditions and promoting the pursuit of further education for the students of Koh Tnaot. Thank you for your support!

Links

Any funds raised in addition to the initial goal will go towards CRDT’s other valuable projects, which can be found on their website.

All funds will be transferred directly to CRDT via international banking upon reaching the fundraising target.

Target may be adjusted subject to major fluctuations in the AUD to USD exchange rate.