We work closely with trusted, credible Cambodian networks and individuals directly within rural communities. This partnership enables us to together identify the needs of the community and the school and to work together to meet them. We employ ten Cambodian staff and these wonderful people work at the local level to ensure we achieve direct, measurable and sustainable results.

Most students have never experienced a sense of pride in their studies, nor have they had any materials to beautify their classroom.  We install three subject specific display boards – bright blue, red and green – which the teachers use to display the children’s work. This small change makes a massive impact on the children’s sense of achievement and their desire to do well in their studies. They also love creating artwork to brighten their classroom environment.

There is usually a small classroom, which we refurbish as a bright, inviting library with shelves, books, low tables for the children to sit at, art materials and mats on the floor.  This inviting space often becomes the heart of the school.  We stock the library with top quality books, which benefit not only the children but also their families.  A number of good NGO’s produce books, which provide life-skills information, and address social and environmental issues. We also stock books with positive stories for children. These books are well loved!

Cambodian children are like children anywhere – they need a place where they can run, play and let off steam.  We build basic playgrounds at the school using local materials such as wood, ropes and tyres.

“In the beginning I thought playgrounds were a frivolous luxury in light of more pressing needs, but I have come to understand how important they are for child development and for children to have a positive association with school.  If school is a fun and positive experience, they will keep coming back. “ ~ Denise Arnold

One of our goals is to improve the food security of the community at large.  Subsistence farmers are vulnerable to food shocks – the failure of crops or rises in food prices.  Learning how to grow food is an essential life skill for a Cambodian child.  It is part of the learning curriculum, and we consider it really important to give children practical knowledge of how to grow food.

The school gardens have been instrumental in drawing communities together. This is significant as the recent history of Pol Pot’s regime involved the breaking down of familial and social bonds. Seeing families come together and work alongside each other for the benefit of the school and the broader community is helping to develop these bonds again.

We also create fishponds, because fish are a rich source of protein.  The school director ensures that the poorest children have access to the fish and crops from school.

The best way to prepare a child for an effective primary school education is for them to attend pre-school classes. Primary schools have a responsibility to provide preschool classes for children, but they usually don’t have the resources or the teachers to teach 3-6 year olds.  We refurbish a second room at the school as a preschool class with age-appropriate furniture.  We tile the floor and buy blocks and colouring materials. Pre-school teachers are trained in Phnom Penh and we work with them to support their training and to resource them with teaching materials. As soon as we open a preschool class we are swamped with children.

We offer free remedial lessons for the lowest performing 30% of students.  This hugely improves the learning outcomes for struggling children and improves student retention.  Children in Cambodia only attend school for four hours each day.  We have two school sessions, 7am-11am or 1pm-5pm.  Children who are struggling academically attend remedial classes in the hours they are not attending their main school session.