Crom in Laos: I Leave Work and Fly to Cambodia to Visit the New Hope School, Siem Reap

Thursday 7 November 2013

Last day at work. I did a quick walk round the building saying goodbye to a few people - everyone was so kind. Some of them said I was being very courageous. Really?? What do they know that I don’t?? Beginning to worry me. Left the office at 1600 and drove to Tina’s in SYD.

Friday 8 November 2013

Up at 0430. Drove to airport arr 0500. Said goodbye to Kate. Checked in. Flew Singapore Airlines to SIN - full - middle seat of 3. Watched 2 films and slept for a while. Fed twice. Flight late leaving SIN due to thunderstorms. Arr Siem Reap and was met by two of the New Hope directors. To Golden Village Guest House ($15/night). Had some supper with the directors and volunteers.

Mr Sot Kemsour, founder of New Hope sat with us and told us his story. A very impressive tale of a boy struggling to become educated, to make a living and then to make a difference. He spent about an hour going over his life from his first job at the age of 12 collecting rubbish to sell. He wanted to be a tour guide because he wanted to work with foreigners and learn other languages. He found a school where he could study whilst working. Bear in mind this was during the reign of Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge when educated people were being massacred in the killing fields. He managed to buy a tuk tuk and developed the business so that he eventually owned 4 tuk tuks and 4 motor bike taxis. At about age 27 in December 2006 he decided to start a school to help children gain an education as a way to get out of poverty. He sold part of his business and, with the funds, started a school in 2 grass huts for 35 children.

http://www.newhopecambodia.com/index.php

Soon they moved into more permanent buildings (see photos below) in the village slum where he lived.

Old 'permanent' school classroom for 35 primary kids

Old classroom for 35 intermediates

Siem Reap slum

They quickly outgrew those 'permanent' buildings into the present 3 story building allowing 1,000 children to attend in 4 shifts each day.

Along the way (February 2007) he met a lady from Australia who wanted to help and the New Hope Charity was formed and used their drive to allow children access to education. Everything is geared towards education. The old buildings were turned into an out-reach centre for mothers on the understanding that their children attend school. More purpose-made out-reach ‘dwellings’ have been built.

Out-reach Centre

Medical Centre

A medical centre has been built next to the school to give the children medical attention so that they can benefit better from the education. A restaurant has been built to teach the kids how to prepare food, food hygiene, how to make cocktails (it is a tourist area).

Bike Repair Shed

Some children come long distances so the charity buys bicycles and gives them to the children. However, when the bikes break down the children stop attending. So a bike repair shed was built to repair the bikes but also to raise money. The New Hope bikes are repaired free but others pay. The children learn a skill in repairing bikes. Volunteers need to get to work so they buy bikes which are then donated when they depart. In the poorest areas children aren’t permitted by their parents to come to school as they have to work - the girls, often, as prostitutes. Sponsors are found to pay for rice for families - they sign a 'contract' that the children come to school as they are no longer required to work for money to pay for rice.

New Hope School

Everything New Hope does is focused on the education of children - each project is designed to leverage off the next with the same ultimate goal - education to break the grip of poverty. Kemsour mentioned his next idea which is to develop an employment agency so that the children will be better able to get a job when they leave school.