Our goals

We believe school is where to start to help Cambodia lift itself out of poverty.  It is our hope that a strong school will instill in these young children with a culture of education, a sense of perseverance and a drive for excellence.  We believe that changes can be achieved by helping one school and one village at a time.

The Chea Smarn school is a primary and secondary school, located in one of the poorest area in Siemreap, Cambodia.  The first phase of our programs is to address the school library needs of basic multi-media equipment’s (CD/DVD players, TV) and course materials.

See our current program:  Library Media Lab 2010
By Dave Khuon (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.), program coordinator, August 9^th, 2010.

School Profile

 SCHOOL INFORMATION (English Translation)

The Chea Smarn Elementary and Junior High School is located in the village of Chea Smarn, Mean Chey commune, Prasat Bakong district, Siemreap province. 

Chea Smarn is a poor farming village which lays in a flood plain near the bank of the Tonle Sap Lake, about 24 km south-east from the provincial town Siemreap.

The school resides on a lot of 4200 square meters (one acre).  It is the only school to provide primary and first year of secondary education to students from the five neighboring villages: Chea Smarn, Bantay Russei, Kampong Tkau, Daun Num, and Soung.

The school was built in 1954, as a single wooden structure with brick tile roof;  it had 3 rooms, and offered grade 1 to grade 4 which were taught by 4 teachers.  The original structure was destroyed during the war years.

In 1979, the people in the five villages pooled together their humble resources, and with financial assistances from the commune, district and provincial governments, to rebuild the school.  It had a wooden structure, brick tile roof, dirt floor and walls made of coconut leaves.  There was no chair, table or desk for students and teachers: both students and teachers sat on the dirt floor during class.

In 1997, the wooden structure gave way to two brick buildings with 10 rooms, of which one serves as the administration office, a second room as the school library.  The remaining 8 rooms are used for teaching elementary students in all the 7 grades, in 13 classes and 2 shifts.

Year 2008-2009 academic performances:

Grades 1 – 6	Male	Female	Total
Number of teachers	1	8	9
Number of classes: 13, split in 2 shifts
Number of Students	287	259	555
Students passing the class	256	251	507
Students failing the class	31	8	39

For the year 2009 – 2010, grade 7 (or 1^st year of Junior High) has been added

Grade 7	Male	Female	Total
Number of teachers	1	3	4
Number of Students	44	46	90
Number of classes: 2, split in 2 shifts

Immediate needs

1. Every year, during the raining season, the court yard is flooded, endangering students and teachers safety.  We need to raise the level of the court yard, and to build a peripheral fence around the school.
2. The administration office, the library, and teaching materials storage are taking up 2 rooms, which could be better used for teaching.  We need a separate building for the administration office, the library and store room, in order to augment the number of classrooms to meet the growth of the student population.
3. The school needs basic student supplies such as writing papers, ball-point pens, pencils to provide to the very poor students: 133 students.

   Chea Smarn, November 23^rd, 2009
   School Principal, 
   Signed: Chhoeu Thavin
   

 Additional Notes

In addition to its immediate needs, the school sorely lacks resources in the following areas:

1. OFFICE: modern equipment to help the school cope with the increase in number of students every year.   Expertise to help tracking student progress.
2. LIBRARY: more seating areas, and more books in Math, Science, Agriculture in Cambodian and English for students and teachers usage, in the library and in the classroom.  Students and teachers cannot afford to purchase books on their own.  Other forms of educational materials such as re-used computers, CD / DVD, and recorded TV programs are needed in the library.
3. ELECTRICITY: from solar panels or windmills.
4. PROGRAMS:
   • Provide poor students with school uniforms: new or 2^nd hand
   • Setup a reward / recognition program to raise student academic level
   • Setup sports activities
   • Connect students and teachers with peers around the country and abroad

Contact Information

School Director:         Mrs. Chhoeu Thavin
Phone number:          (0) 12 848 163
School address:         Chea Smarn Primary and Junior High School
                                 Chea Smarn village, Mean Chey commune
                                 Prasat Bakong District
                                 Siemreap Province, CAMBODIA

Additional Information

• Copy of the letter from the school principal, dated on November 23rd, 2009
• More pictures