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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.

We are thrilled with the return of a former volunteer, Lisa Hoffmeyer. Lisa volunteered for six months in 2014, helping in a number of ways, but especially with the English programs. We really appreciate Lisa returning to share her time and talents with the staff and students. We asked Lisa to share her story about how she got “hooked” by Cambodia and the work of Spitler School.

“I am thrilled to be back in Siem Reap for my second time volunteering at Spitler and Kurata schools!

Like Danny and Pam Spitler, I was fortunate to have Chea Sarin as my guide while vacationing in Cambodia in 2008. As a professional in the nonprofit world in the US, when Sarin mentioned his involvement in a new NGO school in a small village outside Siem Reap,  I was definitely up for a visit.

If hadn’t already fallen in love with the country and its lovely people, my visit to Spitler certainly clinched it. I was completely charmed by the smiling faces of the children and the dedication of the teachers in the small thatched classroom. And of course, like many visitors to the Cambodia, I was struck by the dichotomy of my life in the US and all that we take for granted as compared with life in a rural village here. I knew then that day that one day I would return.

Fast forward 5 years, I took a sabbatical from my job and with my shiny new TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) Certificate in hand, I returned to Siem Reap and the schools for a planned three-month stint of volunteering. It was great to see how much the school had grown – 600 students! I loved my time in Siem Reap so much, the three months quickly turned into six, and with the patient help of Jim Latt, the school’s Volunteer Coordinator, my teaching skills slowly improved. Yes, the bike ride from town to the village and back was HOT! No, the solar-powered ceiling fans in the classrooms barely move the air. And YES, I enjoyed every minute of it! Incorporating games into my teaching plan was a big hit – the kids begged for BINGO, we had flash card races and acted out Jack in the Beanstalk – basically whatever I could think of to keep their attention and incorporate English into the lesson. I also helped out the “real” English teachers in the classroom as 50 kids is a bit much to manage on one’s own. My hat goes off to Ratha and Hoy – they are superstars.

It seems I can’t stay away, so I’m back again for another few months. It’s been wonderful to see all the teachers and staff again and I’m looking forward to working with the new English instructors, Poley and Sophal. Between Kurata and Spitler, attendance is now up to 800 now, so there’s lots to do and I can’t wait to get started!”