Primary School by the Lake
Working with established local partners, SeeBeyondBorders funded the construction of a four classroom school, together with classroom furniture, toilets, kitchen and dining facilities and playground equipment.There had been a form of school within the grounds of the Buddhist temple in the village of Phnom Kpuah for many years. It was an earthen space with a roof of bamboo held up by wooden sticks serving as columns and has been managed by a single teacher, a man of 79 with a true vocation for teaching. In 2009 the roof collapsed which necessitated a move to under the teacher’s house (photo). The teacher runs three classes for a total of 77 children. Classes for grades 1 and 2 are conducted simultaneously in the morning and grade 3 in the afternoon. On completing their third year here, the children are accepted into grade four at the government school, about 5kms away. To be admitted to the government school the students must have learnt how to read and write fluently. The previous conditions made this a real challenge for the community.
Working with established local partners, SeeBeyondBorders funded the construction of a four classroom school, together with classroom furniture, toilets, kitchen and dining facilities and playground equipment. The project commenced in September 2010 and the school was officially opened in March 2011.
The school also serves as a meeting place for the village community thus fulfilling a basic need for 490 people from the village of Phnom Kpuah.
Old schoolhouse
The new school building
Ed Shuttleworth cutting the ribbon at the offical opening ceremony in March 2011
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