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Urgent: Give them books! School, Not POVERTY
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$1,101 raised of
10 donations
Education Over Survival - Give Children a Future, Not Poverty
Official fundraiser organized by
Chris Srey - Fundraising & Communications Officer for People Improvement Organization (PIO).
Phymean Noun- Founder & President of PIO
Eason Chen- PIO Ambassador
People Improvement Organization (PIO)
#224MC, St. Lum, Sangkat Stung Mean Chey, Khan Mean Chey, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Hi, my name is Chris, and together with my family and PIO's ambassador, we are raising funds for the People Improvement Organization (PIO) in Cambodia—a school my aunt, Phymean Noun, has been running for over 23 years. PIO has always been a safe place for children who would otherwise be forced into begging, scavenging, or working from a very young age just to survive.
PIO Ambassador - Eason (Yi-Hsun) Chen
About Eason
Eason Chen, a Grade 9 student and Mensa member from Taiwan, is using his love of chess to support PIO Cambodia. His project teaches children critical thinking and confidence through strategy games while raising funds for creative education tools.
If you’re donating in support of his work, please write “For Eason’s Chess Project” in your donation comment.
Every dollar counts:
$10 = meals for one child for 10 days
$26 = meals for one child for a whole month
$50 = a uniform and supplies for one child
$200 = Cleaners/Support Staff a month
$350 = one teacher’s salary for a month
$600 = all the school’s water for a month (cleaning + drinking)
$2,350 = keeps the school buses running for a month (driver wages, fuel, maintenance, insurance)
This fundraiser is especially personal for us. My dad recently passed away. He was my aunt’s older brother and one of her biggest supporters from the very beginning. After escaping the Khmer Rouge and starting a new life in Canada, he worked hard and regularly sent money back home. His support allowed my aunt to finish school and pursue a better life—an education that ultimately led her to create PIO and dedicate her life to helping children and others in need.
Supporting PIO was part of my dad’s dream, and in his memory, my family and I are stepping up more than ever to continue that legacy.
Why We Need Your Help
Since COVID, PIO has lost over 75% of its regular donors. At the same time, my family and the PIO network have taken on extra burdens, including helping displaced families with food, shelter, and resources during times of conflict along the Thai-Cambodia border. These struggles have pushed our resources to the breaking point. To give our students stability, we’ve set our GoFundMe goal to cover 6 months of operations.
Right now, we are at risk of:
- Closing our elementary program, since resources can no longer stretch to cover all grades
- Overcrowding in higher grades, as we prioritize keeping students who are about to graduate
- Cutting meal programs and health support, which many parents rely on to keep their children in school
It costs about $56,000 USD ~$77,000 CAD per month to keep PIO running—including meals, teacher salaries, healthcare, utilities, transportation, and supplies. Without emergency support, children will be forced back to a life of poverty—collecting garbage, working in the fields, or making bracelets and trinkets to sell at tourist spots all day long.
Note on our fundraising goal: The true cost of running PIO is about $56,000 USD ~$77,000 CAD per month. Since this campaign is being run from Canada, the amount appears in Canadian dollars. Our target of $475,000 CAD is the equivalent of $350,000 USD, which will keep over 1,300 children fed, educated, and cared for through the next half year.
Since GoFundMe does not support direct payout to Cambodian NGO accounts, donations are collected into our Canadian business bank account and then securely transferred by wire directly to PIO’s NGO account in Cambodia.
(Donor → GoFundMe → Canadian Business Account → PIO NGO Account)
The Real Costs Per Month
- Meals: $26,000 – $1 per child, per day
- Teachers: $22,750 – 65 teachers at $350 each
- Electricity: $2,000 – 2 school buildings
- Cleaning Water: $300
- Drinking Water: $300
- Transportation: $2,350 – bus driver + fuel for the 45-seat bus
- School Bags: ~$975/month (spread across the year with school supplies)
- Uniforms: ~$1,625/month (spread across the year)
- Shoes: ~$215/month (spread across the year)
Total: ~$56,500 USD / ~$77,000 CAD per month
About PIO
The People Improvement Organization (PIO) is a Cambodian nonprofit school founded in 2002 by educator and activist Phymean Noun. She began by sacrificing her own resources to open the first school at Phnom Penh’s garbage dump—giving children a way out of poverty.
Today, PIO provides:
- Free education from Kindergarten through High School (and beyond when possible)
- Hot meals every school day – often the only full meal children receive
- School uniforms & supplies – so every child can attend with dignity
- Clean water & healthcare – including access to nurses and dental care
- Hope & opportunity – helping students move from street life into careers and higher education
PIO now serves over 1,300 students every year. For families in poverty, this education is life-changing: it protects children from being forced into labor and gives them the chance to break the cycle of poverty. Without schools like PIO—since public education is not free in Cambodia—most of these children would be forced to stay home or work from a very young age, often scavenging, farming, or selling small items to tourists, instead of learning.
How Funds Will Be Used
Your donations will go directly to:
- Paying teachers so classes can continue past grade school
- Providing hot lunches so children are fed and parents send them to school
- Covering uniforms, books, and supplies
- Keeping our nurse on site for basic healthcare and dental services
- Paying for electricity, water, and transport so the school can stay open
Note on Transparency & Donations:
Because PIO is a Cambodian nonprofit, it does not appear in GoFundMe’s charity database. That is why this fundraiser is organized under my name as PIO’s Fundraising & Communications Officer and Finance Coordinator. 100% of the funds raised here are transferred directly to support PIO’s programs—covering teacher salaries, meals, healthcare, and school operations.
For donors who prefer, contributions can also be made directly through PIO’s official donation page here: https://peopleimprovement.org/2020/index.php.
How You Can Give
Donate here on GoFundMe – every contribution makes a difference, no matter the size.
Or, if you prefer, donate directly via our webpage UCL at this link: https://peopleimprovement.org/2020/index.php
How We’re Helping & Who We Need
I am preparing to travel to Cambodia myself to teach English and hygiene classes for free—because right now, we need all hands on deck.
PIO is also looking for qualified teachers to volunteer with us. If you are an educator and can offer your time, PIO provides a safe place to stay and the chance to directly impact hundreds of children’s futures. From time to time, we’ve also welcomed other skilled volunteers—like a yoga instructor who ran classes—but our greatest need is teachers to keep classrooms open.
Thank You
PIO has always been about hope, dignity, and opportunity. With your help, we can keep the doors open and protect hundreds of children from a lifetime of poverty and hardship.
From my family to yours, thank you for reading, donating, and sharing. Together we can choose School, Not Streets—and carry on my father’s legacy of supporting this dream.