The Cambodia Rural School Project
The Trapeang Kdar School
REPORT ON A SCHOOL OPENING CEREMONY
Dear Mr.Krisher,
I and the representative of the donors enjoyed participating in the opening ceremony of School #244 on February 19, 2005 at the Dang Kdar village, Thma Edth commune, Kampong Tralach district, and Kampong Chhnang province .We left Phnom Penh at 7h 30AM with three Toyota Camrys to go straight to the school, which is about 66 km northwest of Phnom Penh. Mrs.Phat Thony, provincial chief of education, Mr.Hul Chantho, deputy governor of Kampong Tralach district, commune chief and local authorities, local villagers, monks and students were waiting to welcome the donors. The delegations, donors and local authorities walked through the two lines of students to the platform, which was built in front of the school building. The donors and the delegations arrived at the platform then Mrs.Phat Thony, provincial governor, handed gifts to the monks and received wishes from the monks. Then the donors and the delegations sat at in place, which the school committee had arranged at tables. We all stood to respect the national anthem, which was sung by the students. The deputy district chief had a speech talking about developing his area and thanked the representative of the donors who had a speech giving his impression of coming to see the happy situation here and the new school. He also thanks the local people for inviting him to come. The provincial governor also had a speech to thank the donors, who spent their time and money to come and build this school building. Then the donors cut the red ribbon and visited the new classrooms. They took souvenir photograph with the teachers and local people and visited the school buildings. Here is the program of the ceremony:
1. Greeting of guests with flowers
2. Monks chanting
3. Welcome remarks by Deputy Governor of Kampong Tralach district Mr.Hul Chantho
4. Speech by donor representative Mr.Chan Sophal
5. Speech by Director of provincial Department of Education Mrs.Phat Thony
6. Speech by student representative Srun Srey Lin.
7. Cutting ribbon
8. Visiting the classroom
9.Distribute of gifts to students (the Trapeang Kdar school has 148 students, and each kid received two notebooks, two pens, two pencil, one ruler, and one plastic folder) on this occasion I took time to take some pictures and also took interviews with the school director, kids and villager for the web page. Then we left Phnom Penh at 11h 30am and arrived back in Phnom Penh at around 12h 50mn.
The deputy district governor of Kampong Tralach district welcomes Mr.Chan Sophal, the representative of the donors.
Mr.Hul Chantho, the deputy chief of Kampong Tralach district gives a speech at the school’s opening ceremony
The representative of the school’s donors, Mr.Chan Sophal, with a garland of flower around his neck gives a speech at the ceremony.
Mrs.Phat Thony, the chief of the provincial Education Department pins a medal to Mr.Sophal Ear, the representative of the school’s donors.
Mr. Chan Sophal holds a pair of scissors and cuts the red ribbon to inaugurate the new school building.
Speech by student representative Srun Srey Lin.
