Visit to the Mongkolbory School in Cambodia

I arrived in Siem Reap, Cambodia, location of the Angkor Wat ruins, to meet up
with Hans Eide and his party, John Barratt and his Thai wife, and his brother Michael Barratt. We traveled to the location of Hans’ rotary project, the Mongkolbory School, constructed and maintained for over 300 primary and secondary students from financially disadvantaged families near Battanbam some 100 km northwest of Siem Reap.

Hans had established this school about a decade ago for families in this region, families who had no financial means of sending their children to school. He had located a school for privileged Chinese Cambodian children which had empty classrooms available for use. Hans made it his mission to raise funds to provide education for less privileged families, paying for the tuition, educational materials, uniforms, breakfasts and lunches, and bicycle transportation for some 250 primary school children. He raised funds, some $75,000 per year through rotary club and private donations, a laudable achievement. My rotary club, the Arcata Sunrise Rotary Project, has been supporting this project during these years with modest annual contributions, $1000-$2000 per year.

Then, several years ago, the school that had been providing the classrooms announced that they would no longer be able to continue with that arrangement. When I heard of that announcement, I thought that Hans would certainly conclude that it had been a good run but that the project must end. But Hans is made of finer grit. He rolled up his sleeves and managed to raise over $120,000 needed to construct a new school for the children.

It was this new school, still undergoing construction, that we visited. Ten classrooms had been completed and a separate building with four more was under construction. The site, a former rice field, also included a dining and kitchen facility and bathrooms, along with a pond, providing drinking water and fish for lunch food, and a garden area/rice field. The school year was just beginning as we arrived. The day started out with a ceremony presenting the top students with award presents. We then attended a meeting with the parents of the students, and student classrooms where we viewed the teachers conducting their classes. In each class, of different levels, the teaching of English was being emphasized. This skill will provide these students the opportunity of working in the developing tourist industry in nearby Angkor Wat and Cambodia. It was clear that the students were very serious about the importance of this learning opportunity. Several students approached me about the possibility of coming to the US for some of their educational experience, and I was moved by how fortunate we are in our country for all of the benefits and opportunities we so take for granted. None of these opportunities are currently available for most Cambodians, one of the poorest countries in Asia. I will return to the US with a renewed commitment to supporting this project, with club and individual donations.

My second day in Siem Reap I made arrangements to visit some of the
Angkor Wat ruins in the outlying districts. I have been to Siem Reap several times previously and seen the main complex ruins repeatedly. I hired a guide and tut tut driver and visited the ruins at Ta Prohm and Beng Mealea some 70 km outside Siem Reap.


Arrival at the Mongkolbory School


Mongkolbory School Grounds


Mongkolbory School Grounds


Meeting with the Parents of the Students


Visit to a Class