I just returned from the land of ancient ruins to oversee a non-profit project. The Kumomo Tree Project is the private donor for two schools in Kampong Cham at the Batheay District, approximately two hours drive from the city of Phnom Penh.

The Rural Schools Project was initiated by the American Assistance for Cambodia (AAfC) in 1999, and the project allows private donors to build schools with matching funds from the World Bank and Asian Development Bank for the kids and youths in rural Cambodia. To date, over 400 elementary and junior high schools have been constructed in most of the rural areas in Cambodia.

Most villages in the rural parts of Cambodia do not have access to clean water, electricity, and proper health care. One can hardly imagine how these students learn under such harsh conditions. At times, the weather can be so hot that it cracks the very earth and on the other extreme, major parts of the villages are flooded during the rainy season due to poor irrigation.

Imagine studying in a classroom without fans with an extremely dry weather out there. Forget about air-conditioner as there won’t be any electricity supplies at all. School works and readings must be done before the sun sets, unless candles or oil-lamps are used. Such are the life of the kids in rural Cambodia today.

In comparison, the youths in Malaysia are extremely lucky. We should all be grateful for everything that we have and learn to give to those who are more underprivileged than us. There’s no doubt that education is the best gift one can pass on to the next generation, and every little help from us can help these kids change their future.

To learn more about this project, please visit the official AAfC website at www.cambodiaschools.com.