Dream Catcher Foundation
Scalettastrasse 19, P.O. Box 61
7270 Davos Platz
+ 41 (0)81 410 03 39
The thirteenth project of the Dream Catcher Foundation in Cambodia is the construction of the following secondary school:
Basak Secondary School, Keo Muny Village, Rukhak Kiri District, Battambang Province, Cambodia
The current school building with five classrooms is still in good condition.
However, classrooms are increasingly overcrowded.
Teachers and community members provide inspiration for the new school building they want, and students can't wait to have more space to study more comfortably!
Project description:
Despite its growing tourism sector, Cambodia remains one of the poorest and least developed countries in Southeast Asia. Cambodia ranks 146th out of 191 countries on the Human Development Index (2021), which takes into account education, health and income. Development in the country is uneven and many rural communities remain impoverished as corruption and self-interest hamper the country's growth.
Basak Secondary School is located in Keo Muny Village, named after Keo Muny Mountain, in Battambang Province. The village was founded in 2019 and is now home to 8734 people from 1802 households, most of whom make their living from agriculture. Although the village has good soil for farming, due to the lack of accessibility, farmers rely on middlemen to sell their produce, resulting in very low income for farmers. The village has water, electricity, mobile communications and a local health center.
Basak Secondary School currently has 366 students (176 boys, 190 girls) aged 12 to 15 and employs nine teachers (4 men, 5 women). The school consists of a five-classroom concrete building constructed in 2009 by a South Korean philanthropist and a temporary building constructed by the community in 2022 to serve as the teachers' office. Both buildings are in fair condition.
However, as student numbers continue to rise, classrooms are increasingly overcrowded. The school currently serves as a catchment area for seven elementary schools. Due to insufficient classroom space, some students drop out of school rather than continue their education. Since the school is very difficult to access, the teachers would also benefit from housing on the school premises. A new school building with six fully equipped classrooms and a boarding school for teachers is therefore urgently needed to create a motivating environment in which students and teachers can learn, teach, develop and thrive. The new school building will not only encourage children to be more involved in their education, but will also underscore the importance of education to the wider community. In addition, we will build six new toilets to improve school sanitation, prevent hygiene-related diseases and reduce school dropout rates.
​
Implementation:
The Basak Secondary School is a government-registered school. The government supports the training and payment of teachers' salaries and provides the curriculum and teaching and learning materials.
Our approach is to always involve the community in the project to give them a sense of pride and ownership of the project. For this, the villagers have agreed to do their part by filling the foundation with soil, renovating the school's fence, cleaning the school's surroundings and organizing the opening ceremony.
For the actual construction, we will work with a trusted local builder to coordinate all phases of construction and purchase all standard materials locally. Payments will be made in installments as construction progresses, with 5% of the total cost being withheld for six months as a guarantee of the quality of the work. After completion of the project, the municipality will be responsible for the upkeep of the school. Construction work is scheduled to start in June 2023 and be completed by November 2023. However, we have to take into account possible delays during the construction work, since access to the school is very difficult, especially during the rainy season.
July 2023
The construction of the school has started.
Here you can see the location of the school.
Beginning of September 2023
Construction phase II has already been completed. Everything is going very well...
Beginning of September 2023
Construction phase III is almost completed. Things are progressing quickly and without any major problems...
Mid-November 2023
The construction is almost complete. The students will be able to move into the new school soon.
The official school opening is expected to take place at the end of January 2024.
School opening January 17, 2024
The students, teachers and parents give the guests a lovely welcome.
After the official speeches, Roli hands over the dream catcher to the school principal and receives a one-time award from the king for the work we have done in Cambodia.
The new backpacks will be handed over to the students.
​
The finished school, with the new sanitary facilities.
​
And then there is the communal feast...
