Despite thriving tourism, Cambodia is still one of the poorest and least developed countries in Southeast Asia. The country has not developed equally and poverty still plagues many rural communities as corruption and self-interest hamper the country's growth.

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Dun Sok Primary School is located in Kandal Village, Slaeng Spean Township, Srei Snam District, Siem Reap Province, Cambodia. The village was founded before 2000 and currently has 890 inhabitants and 212 households. They mainly depend on agriculture and plantation work for their livelihood. Dun Sok Primary School currently has a wooden school building with a total of 5 classrooms divided with makeshift walls. The wooden school building, built by the municipality in 2000, is falling apart very quickly. It is supported by inferior wooden piers bolted to concrete pillars, wooden batten walls and a zinc roof. In the hot season, the interior becomes unbearably hot and when it rains heavily, the rainwater flows through the gaps between the slats and the holes in the walls, causing severe foundation and structural damage. The derelict building is about to collapse and poses a very serious risk to the lives of teachers and students.

Currently the school has 210 students (97 boys and 113 girls) aged 5 to 13 and employs 6 teachers (5 men and 1 woman). To help in this urgent situation, we will support Dun Sok Primary School to construct a new concrete school building (to replace the dilapidated structure) with 4 fully furnished classrooms and 1 staff room. This creates a more hygienic and motivating environment for students to reach their full potential. In addition, we will build three new toilets to prevent the practice of open defecation and the spread of hygiene-related diseases. The new school building will underscore the importance of education to Kandal Village and other surrounding communities, and provide an incentive for students to continue and complete primary education.

implementation:

Dun Sok Primary School is a state registered school. Teacher salaries and training are supported and managed by the government. Our approach is to always involve the community in the project to promote ownership and community development. For this project, the villagers have agreed, by demolishing the old building and clearing the site, filling in the foundation, building fences around the school (to prevent farm animals from destroying the school grounds) and with the organization of the school opening ceremony to make their contribution. The school and the community will be responsible for the operation and maintenance of the new school building.

We will select a trusted local contractor who will coordinate all phases of construction and purchase materials locally. The foreman is responsible for selecting the construction team and covering all labor costs and building materials. The contractor will be paid in four installments as construction progresses, with 5% of the total cost being retained for six months as a guarantee of the quality of the work. Construction work is scheduled to start in October 2019 and be completed by April 2020.