Rural Schools Program

Build a rural school or adopt an existing school and enhance it with computer training, English lessons, vegetable gardens and more! Give children of the rural poor areas of Cambodia opportunities for a better education and brighter life.

Rural Schools and List of Donors

In Kinny, the director of The Shintoshin Rotary and Speros (Hawaii) School (Feb. 2000)

In Kinny has been director of The Shintoshin Rotary and Speros (Hawaii) School since 1985.
He is married and has three children (two girls and a boy).
His middle child, a son of 6 years old, is in the first grade at this school.

In Kinny began teaching in this village in 1972 under the Lon Nol regime. During the years of the Khmer Rouge (1975-1979), he worked as a forced laborer in the rice paddies, and as a teacher. Given the Khmer Rouge’s mistrust of educated people, it is remarkable that In Kinny worked as teacher (many educated Cambodian people were prosecuted and killed by the Khmer Rouge simply because they had a high level of education).

 

In Tinny standing in front of the ruins of the monastery where
he lived during the Khmer Rouge years from 1975-1979 (Feb. 2000)

 

In Their Own Words. . . 

on working as a teacher during the Khmer Rouge regime:

“I lived in a local pagoda near the labor site. Under Pol Pot, the living conditions were very bad.”

“We lacked food to eat. I would work all morning, and then come in at noontime to teach for one hour. This was time to eat and rest before returning to the fields, but I would teach during my rest time.”

“I do not know why I was selected to be a teacher. I could have refused to teach – no problem. But, I wanted to teach because I wanted to maintain the Khmer (Cambodian) language.”
on having his son attend his school: “I like having my son at this school, because the new school building is in very good condition. It can protect him from rain, and has a good environment. New schools are good opportunities for teachers and students.”
on the future of his students: “The future is better for the students, because our old school did not have walls or a roof. With this new school, the students will come to study because they learn in the nice building with new technology.” (In Kinny is referring to the solar panels and computer of the new school.)
message to The Tokyo Shintoshin Rotary Club: “Thank you, donor, for building the new school for the students. Every villager says ‘thank you’ to you. The people say the new school building is beautiful, and it makes the village beautiful.”