The Cambodia Rural School Project
The Hiroko Okuma School
Mr. Phlouch Phar is the Director of the Toshio Nakamura School.
(August, 2001)
Mr. Nem Sokhy is 49 years old. He was married in 1976 during the Pol Pot regime. Now he has three sons and four daughters. Three of his children study at the school. He became a teacher in 1982 and has worked at this school since then. This year he was appointed as the school director.
| On the new building: | “I like this new school building. It is new and it is not noisy when teaching. In the old wooden building it was hot and sunlight came in. When it rained, the children got wet.
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| On school subjects: | “Most of my students are good at Khmer and Social Studies. They are generally weak in Mathematics and Applied Sciences.”
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| On his personal history: | “In 1971, I was forced to be a soldier for the US-backed government of Lon Nol. I served as a government soldier for two years during which I was sent to many battlefields across the country, fighting with the Khmer Rouge. In 1973 when I was in my home village, the Khmer Rouge troops drove the people from my village to the Khmer Rouge controlled area which they called the “Liberation Zone.” Then I was made a soldier of the Khmer Rouge and was sent to the battlefield again. After four months I was wounded by a bullet during an attack with the government soldiers. I was sent to hospital for treatment and I wanted to leave the army. I asked them to work as a farmer. So from 1975 to 1979, I lived in Totoul village, Kompong Cham province. One of my sisters died of starvation during that time.”
“I am a boring person and hate traveling and the life of soldier. I want to be at home and work as a teacher, because I can work near my house and my relatives. I also want to educate the children in this village.”
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| Message for Donor: | “I would like to express my deep thanks to the donor for building this school for our children in the village. I wish them good health, happiness and longevity.” |
