Project ID # : KH-CRR-09-0004
Name of School or Community : Hun Sen Phdao Chum Primary and Lower Secondary School
Village/City : Pha Doa Chum
District/Zone : Cheung Prey
State/Province : Kampong Cham
Country : Cambodia
Description :
Hun Sen Phdao Chum Primary and Lower Secondary School is located in Pha Doa Chum Village in Kampong Cham Province. The school is 72 km from Room to Read’s country office in Phnom Penh.
NUMBER OF STUDENTS/CHILDREN
Female:563 / Male:516 / TOTAL:1079
NUMBER OF TEACHERS
Female:8 / Male:13 / TOTAL:21
GRADE/LEVEL OF STUDENTS : Grades Kindergarten through 9
Kampong Cham Province is the most populated province in Cambodia. The province has a tropical climate, with heavy rain from June to September and drier weather from November to May. It is a popular destination among international and domestic tourists for its beautiful landscape and its proximity to the Mekong River. Kampong Cham City is the third largest city in the country. Because the town is located along the Mekong River, the soil is rich and well suited for various crops, including rubber trees, tobacco, durian fruit, and rice.
Hun Sen Phdao Chum Primary and Lower Secondary School is located in Pha Doa Village. The village is in a very remote area. Most of the people in the area make their living cultivating rice, fishing, day-laboring, working in a factory, or working for the government. The majority of the people earn less than $1 per day.
Hun Sen Phdao Chum Primary and Lower Secondary School is a government school for primary students and is located in a poor agricultural community. The school currently has 4 buildings with a total of 20 rooms and serves students in kindergarten through grade 7.
As a poor government school, Hun Sen Phdao Chum Primary and Lower Secondary School does not have enough space and furniture to operate a library for the students, and they definitely could not build a library on their own. Students do not have access to reading materials outside of their regular classes. Constructing a new library will provide students with greater opportunities to access books. A new library will also promote a more reading-friendly environment. The new constructed reading room (CRR) will help to reduce the dropout rate at this school. Lack of materials and space contribute to the high rate of dropouts in this community. The construction of a library will provide an incentive for parents to keep their children in school.
The school principal, teachers, and local community are excited to establish a CRR in their community. The community plans on contributing at least 15% of the total budget of the project. They also plan to form a construction committee to help oversee the project. Once construction is complete, Room to Read will donate books and other library materials.
December 31, 2009
Description of Construction
The CRR was finished on October 26, 2009. The Khmer-style building measures 7 m x 9 m x 5.73 m, with a veranda measuring 3 m x 2 m x 4.54 m. The building walls are composed of hollow and solid bricks, which were covered in plaster to create a smooth surface. The roof is covered with locally produced cement tiles. The windows are constructed of aluminum and glass, and the door is made of strong wood. A ramp leads to the front door to ensure that disabled students have access to the library. Clay tiles lining the floor of the veranda will protect against slippery floors during the rainy season. The community worked together to select skilled workers to construct the CRR. They also put a lot of thought into the color of the new building because they wanted it to be an attractive addition to the community.
Description of Library Establishment
The CRR was officially opened shortly after construction was completed. On December 31, 2009, Room to Read staff, an officer from the District of Education, and the School Director welcomed the new students to their new library. The Room to Read team provided a three-day librarian training session, which focused on management, library activities, and library sustainability. One director and two librarians from the school attended the training session. Room to Read will provide additional sessions after the second and third years of library operation.
This CRR serves more than 1,000 students. Because there are so many students eager to use their new library, the librarians have established a schedule for each grade. The library is open for four hours a day, six days per week. Students are welcome to read at the library or check out books to read at home. Several teachers conduct classes in the library during their scheduled time. The students may read, draw, paint, or play other games in the library.
In addition to the students, community members are welcome to borrow books. The library is truly a gift to the entire community. The School Director and Community Chief plan to use the new library and the new supply of books and other resources to keep kids in school, reduce dropouts, and instill a love of reading in their community.
Challenge Grant Provided by Community - 15.00% of total
Clean Water; Construction Materials; Construction Tools; Doors; Land; Locks; Monitoring and Support; Paint; Ventilation; Windows
Provided by Room to Read - 85.00% of total
31 English Books
835 Non-RtR Local Language Books
428 LLP Books
Building Design; Construction Materials; Construction Tools; Flooring; Monitoring and Support; Paint; Roof; Skilled Labor; Transportation of Materials
Art Supplies; Chair - Teacher; Desk - Teacher; Flooring; Games; Globes; Maps; Mats; Paint; Puzzles; Shelves; Stationery; Tables
Trainings
Basic Construction Techniques; Project Management
Book selection; Developing children’s language skills; Library activities; Library set-up / management; Teaching reading
During the opening ceremony, the School Director said, “We really appreciate Room to Read and the donor who brought this project to our community. Without the support of and contribution from Room to Read and the donor, our community would be unable to establish this library and fill it with new books and resources. This library serves our entire community. I pledge to do on my best to run and maintain the building and resources provided by Room to Read. This is the first time that the school and community have had such a beautiful library. I appeal to the students and community members to spend as much time as possible in the library in order to enhance their love of reading and improve their knowledge."
A 12-year-old student said, “I am so excited to have a library in my school! I never dreamed we would have access to so many books and new knowledge like this. I will try to read every book and seek the knowledge Room to Read has provided!”
