Hello I am James MacLaren, I am a Cambodian-American student living in the United States. I am a junior who goes to Oakton high school in Vienna, Virginia. Seeing the Cambodian lifestyle has always been a culture shock for me in comparison to the facilities and resources that I'm given at Oakton. Connecting to my roots and culture has played a crucial role in my identity. I've connected with a relative currently working with a volunteer group who have reached out for support. This group aims to support the teaching and learning of students of rural schools all over Cambodia that receive most of their support from donations and volunteer work. These circumstances have led to struggles including the inability to access clean drinking water, basic toilets, and school supplies. These schools are remote and difficult to access, which has severely limited their resources and has made them heavily dependent on donation support.

I believe that these students deserve basic necessities that better facilitate their learning despite the challenges they face. These students don't receive the same level of help or resources that every child should have. Your support will help meet the needs of these students in order to promote a better learning environment for them and their communities.

To better visualize our goal, we initially seek $7300 to provide basic necessities such as school supplies (books, pens, bags), curriculum books for teachers, water pumps, and water storage tanks for these school communities. We have additional goals in mind such as the installation of clean toilets, classrooms, libraries, and bikes for children who are farther from their schools. Thank you again for your time and consideration in supporting this effort.