Overview

Chumkriel Language School

Background

The Chumkriel Language School (CLS) has been operating since 2005 to give children in rural Chumkriel, Kampot Province, Cambodia access to quality education. We started in a single classroom teaching English to 100 children. With the support of volunteers and donors over the last 10 years, we now have our own dedicated Learning Centre with adjoining agricultural garden and sporting field. Our philosophy is about helping people help themselves by integrating the basic needs of students and the community in which they live with our education program. Today we offer a wide range of assistance and opportunities to the children of this area. These include: • Daily classes in our Learning Centre by Khmer teachers for 100 primary age children. These classes include Khmer subjects and basic English. Health and hygiene is included as the children come from backgrounds where the importance of basic hygiene is not generally appreciated. The Learning Centre collaborates with an adjoining government high school and primary school, sharing facilities and resources to improve educational opportunities for all children. • A library where children are encouraged to develop and enjoy reading skills, with resources shared with the adjoining government school. • Computer classes for secondary school students. • Dedicated Sports Field/secure playground for the sports program . • Evening classes in English attended by 435 students 5 days a week. • Bus transport for 23 students from the salt fields to and from school each day. Without this service, many of these children would not be able to attend school. • A vegetable garden, developed with funding and expert guidance from a volunteer Australian horticulturalist, to teach the children and their parents how to grow vegetables to give poor families of this area greater food self-sufficiency. • A soup kitchen which uses the products of our vegetable garden to provide a healthy lunch for 30 children from the poorest families. • Scholarships for 80 children to attend the government high school which adjoins our campus, and a further 6 scholarships for selected students to study at university. We have 12 staff and run all of the above programs on a tight budget of less than US$40,000 per year. We are constantly seeking donors to help with operating costs and to expand our programs. Future expansion includes a library so we can move the current “library” out of a classroom at the Learning Centre, an all-weather cover for the playground/sports field and solar power and rainwater capture to maximize sustainability.

Value

To reach all children and their families who need improved education and support

Mission

To provide access to high quality education and support to all children and their communities for better life opportunities

Vision

To reach all children and their families who need improved education and support

Goal

Provide quality education and life to the Community so that we raise healthy, happy, self-confident members of the community

Staff