The Cambodia Rural School Project
The O Cham Long Nippon
Foundation School
Mr. Kim Chim is a 55-year-old villager
Mr. Kim Chim is 55 years-old. He is living in the village and his house is about 200 meters away from the school. Two of his children and one grandson came to study at the new school and they go to school on foot.
He said people started living in the village in 1992 and villagers agreed to raise money to build a one-room building, made of wood and covered by iron sheets. “Until the year 2000, the school’s condition is too old and they tore it down when the new school was built,” he said.
“I feel very happy of getting a new concrete building,” he said. “For my opinion, I think that villagers in this area are unable to build this school by themselves for the school is too expensive and made of concrete,” he said. “Most of the people in the village are poor, except one or two families that are middle-class,” he said. “When I walk by the school, I always have a glance at it with my feeling of surprise,” he said.
“I am very happy that donors gave us a school rather than rice to eat,” he said. ” For example if donors gave us a 50 kg bag of rice, we can eat for a month but if donors gave us a school it will last for a long time and my children, grandchildren and the other children can study for a generation,” he said.
“The school is considered as a cultural foundation for the nation and from this the children can get knowledge and from the knowledge they can develop the country,” he said.
