Background and History

People all over the world understand the importance of education. After satisfying our basic needs, such as food, clothing, and shelter, we then look to better ourselves through education. Education can come through experience or through going to school.
Cambodia has had a difficult past. We have had many years of foreign invasion and civil war. During these years, formal education was not considered important. It was more important to learn how to be a soldier, and to learn to fight and kill. During the years of the Khmer Rouge nearly three million of our people had died. All Khmer people know that this time lasted exactly three years, eight months, and twenty days. We study this time and know these dates exactly. The Khmer Rouge Regime lasted from April 17th, 1975 until January 7th, 1979. No one in our country wants war any more.
During this time, our schools, hospitals, and all institutions were closed and abolished. Teachers, doctors, artists, musicians, and even monks were murdered because they represented knowledge, freedom, and the past. Our people worked as slaves without any freedom, our culture was destroyed, and many died of starvation. After the wars, we tried to get back to normal life, but realized we had a big problem with land mines.
The people of our village have many mine fields surrounding us. It is difficult to use our fields for farming or to raise livestock. Many of our friends and neighbors are killed accidentally, lose limbs, or become disabled. For these reasons, and for lack of education, we are a poor, struggling people.
Now we have additional problems with HIV. We have several orphan and widows who we must help. We are a close community, and all of these troubles bother us greatly. Young mothers and orphans need to go to school just the same as all the other children. We want everyone to have equal access to education. Poor and disadvantaged children should not be excluded. For these reasons we are asking you to help us.
Some parents do not want their children to go to school. They do not understand the importance of education. They want their children to stay at home all day and work. They say school and education is for the rich people, and not for the poor. If their children went to school all day, there would not be enough food for the family to eat. Not all public schools in Cambodia are free. This is why our school is free for all people. Everyone in our village is supportive of the idea of free education for all.
Goals and Mission
Our projective is to end the cycle of ignorance, poverty and discrimination facing Cambodia's orphans poor children and people in our village. By providing an environment and education. Now our plan is helping the 102 children in our village. We are looking for student teachers from around the world who will want to stay with us for a while. These are the subjects we want our children to learn from you the most: