August 2017 will be the biggest 6th grade graduating class yet- 89 from Spitler and 28 from Kurata! The students are all working hard to make sure they pass their exams and we expect that 90% of them will move on to middle school. Over the years, as families have begun to see the value of educating their children, the percentage of kids continuing to middle school has doubled. We are so happy that so many of the children will be attending the new Steven Mazujian Secondary School school nearby.

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“When I graduate Primary School it will make me very happy. I will continue my studies at Secondary School, it has always been my dream to go there. My parents will be very proud of me when I graduate High School. We have many challenges ahead, but they always support me everyday so I can finish school. When I graduate, I want to be a good engineer and designer. That is my dream and my parents’ dream too. We all think education is very important to me and people all over the world.”
~ Mameng

 

“When I graduate Grade 6 and move on to Secondary School, I will feel really happy and my parents will feel happy and proud of me. When I finish High School I want to become an outstanding teacher. I want to be a teacher because I want to help people. All my teachers do a very good job. Thank you!”
~ Chanthy

 

“When I graduate Grade 6 I am very happy. I would like to say “Many Thanks” to all my teachers, they have always done their best to teach me.  After I pass Grade 6, I will continue my education in Secondary School and High School. I promise to work very hard and when I graduate Grade 12  I will look for a good job to repay my parents and show gratefulness. Thank you teachers and parents for sending me to school!”
~ Tong

The new filtered water tank funded by Planet Water and iFlix is a big hit! Not only can the students refill their water bottles with clean water (one less plastic bottle for the landfill!) but, the villagers can take advantage of it as well. Now, instead of getting water from the nearby polluted river, or having to boil well water, on Saturday and Sunday, about 50 local families bring their containers and fill them up with safe, clean water.

We are grateful for Planet Water’s sustainability plan as well. They’ve trained the school staff has on how to check and clean the filters and they system is designed to last five years without the need for repair or replacement.

We are so proud of Soa Mith and Toch Dina! Thanks to a generous donation from Brenda Davis, both students are in their first year of Paññāsāstra University in Siem Reap.

Mith, 18, who attended Spitler school from Grades 3 to 6, is 18 years old and studying computer science. He currently lives alone in Ang Chagn village – his father passed away when he was young and his mother is currently working in Thailand. Although she earns very little there, she manages to send just enough money back to Cambodia so that Mith can buy food and other supplies while he focuses on his studies.

Dina, also 18, started at Spitler School as a first grader, and her brother and 2 sisters are current students here. Dina’s father is a construction worker and her mother is seeking work in Thailand. Dina is studying English literature- this degree will enable her to find a good job as a translator/interpreter, English teacher or hotel concierge.

The families of both students could not be prouder of their accomplishments.  Twelve years ago, they lived in a poor village with no school at all and could have never, in their wildest dreams,  imagined their children as university students. It’s clear that without the strong educational foundation these two young people received at Spitler School, along with Brenda Davis’ donation which funds the cost of tuition, uniforms and books, neither would be where they are today. Dina and Mith are setting a wonderful example for the other students and families in the village and we cannot wait to see what the future holds for them!

Brenda Davis is a world traveler who lives in Northern California. She visited the school in 2008 and has been a contributor to the school for many years. We are very grateful that she decided to provide the scholarship funds that enabled Toch Dina and Soa Mith to realize their dreams to continue their education in college. Their lives will be forever impacted by Brenda’s generosity.