Students from Australia visiting and volunteering in December 2017.
Hello
My name is Kimberley Burton and I have been lucky enough to stay at this amazing school twice now and am looking forward to returning in June to lend a hand.
In my video I talk about been a long way from home and now I am torn about where is my home with this place drawing me back.
The Problem
This school is located on Koh Dach, also known as Silk Island, on the Mekong River inside Phnom Penh Cambodia.
It is a unique school providing free supplementary English and Khmer Maths to its 150 students who during the day attend public school and then come to Coconut late afternoon or evening.
It is a project that is driven by passionate locals and I am seeking support so that Dr Songheng Sin the school Principal and his amazing team can finish their additional classroom and homestay for guests and volunteers..
Currently the funding to run the school comes from the local volunteers themselves. They work elsewhere and contribute the bulk of their salaries to meet running costs. So any capital works such as a new classroom becomes very difficult to build with such limited funds.
In addition because the school provides lessons in the evening many of the 150 students ride home up to 10km in the dark. So with funding they could buy a small bus/truck so that students can be safely transported home at night.
The Solution
If we can raise a total of $20,000 this will be life changing for the school and its students.
What will be achieved
1) The new classroom can be completed allowing more classes to be offered
2) The homestay above the classroom can be completed creating a place for volunteers and guests to stay creating an income stream and bring more passionate people to this amazing place and project.
3) The school can buy better desks and other teaching aids.
4) The cafe and shop can be completed which creates a vocation training centre for the students as well as a business that the school can operate and therefore become financially self sufficient.
5) The purchase of a vehicle will allow the students to be safely transported to a from school which for some is a journey of upto 10km often done at night time.
Visiting volunteers along with some of the local students.
Who we are
I am a volunteer and am just acting as facilitator to raise funds. I am happy to go and labour but what is so great about this project is that it is founded and driven by Cambodian's wanting to make a difference in their own country. So the funds raised through this and other efforts go straight into things that change the lives of the students.
The school principal Dr Songheng Sin and myself.
Construction will be done by local trades people and the students themselves.
How you can help
If you are looking for a life experience that will change your life then the school always needs more volunteers to help work on projects. Otherwise any donation or sharing of this campaign will help make a difference in the students lives.
The traditional afternoon game of soccer of football between visiting students and teachers versus the school students.
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