Children in rural Cambodia are thriving in their education thanks to new facilities built by Samaritan’s Purse.
Boys and girls swarm over playground equipment—swinging, sliding, and climbing in the fresh air before heading inside for lessons chock full of new materials. Relishing in open spaces, new walls, and innovative ways in which to learn, these Cambodian children thank Samaritan’s Purse for providing them with a new, much improved school.
Opened this past spring, the new school boasts 10 rooms across two floors together with a library, playground, borehole, a large water filter, rainwater storage tanks, and an incinerator for trash. This physical space provides a welcome setting for lessons from Samaritan’s Purse on water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH). We also provide safe migration and trafficking awareness (SMTA) lessons, as residents of this region are often lured into dangerous situations by the perceived promise of better opportunities across neighboring borders. Through it all, our staff is sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ in this neglected region.
Kimsan, 12, is “happy and excited” to be studying at the new school. He is the youngest son in a family of four who earn their living through a grocery store their father operates in their home. Kimsan loves his math and English classes especially and is motivated to study so he can talk with foreigners in the future.
Kimsan’s favorite part of the new school is the playground he gets to enjoy with his friends.
An aspiring policeman, Kimsan also enjoys the extra lessons on WASH and SMTA his teachers have been trained to teach him from Samaritan’s Purse. But like many of his fellow youth, his favorite part of school is the playground where he can play freely with his friends. Complete with colorful slides, swings, and merry-go-rounds, it gives him a place to celebrate the joys of being young.
Equipping Minds and Bodies to Flourish
Students aren’t the only ones who appreciate the new facility. Mr. Prak Tine, a sixth-grade teacher, said, “I feel safe and comfortable teaching at the new school building supported by Samaritan’s Purse.”
He notes how their former facility in a Buddhist pagoda was rife with noise as worshippers gathered. It also lacked space, light, and natural air—all of which kept children confined and stifled their creativity.
The old school met on the crowded grounds of the local Buddhist pagoda.
“With the help of Samaritan’s Purse, students gained access to a more comfortable and safe setting where their minds and bodies could flourish,” said Thaisean, a Samaritan’s Purse staff member. “Tine has noticed that now students are more eager to learn because they have access to the playground, a library full of books, improved latrines, and clean water sources.”
This healthy environment has greatly influenced the children’s attitudes about education as a whole.
Tine is grateful to Samaritan’s Purse for providing the new school. He sees that his students are much more eager to learn now that they meet in a quality facility.
Tine said, “I would like to express my thanks to Samaritan’s Purse and its donors. My students and I are really excited. We are committed to taking care of this resource.”
Helping Schools in Jesus’ Name
Principal Nov Ban also highlighted that their former facility not only lacked classroom space and parking, but smelled horribly on days funerals were held, due to the Cambodian practice of burning the dead.
Ban explained that land had been donated for a new school, but they didn’t have the resources to build on it—until Samaritan’s Purse entered the picture. In 2024, the community was approved for a “School for Kids” construction project through our Cambodian office. This Samaritan’s Purse project aims to improve children’s well-being in rural primary schools by constructing quality school buildings that have safe and child-friendly environments, which will reduce vulnerability and susceptibility to unsafe migration.
The community donated land for a new school, but had no means to build on it until they met Samaritan’s Purse.
“Samaritan’s Purse has achieved our dream with a perfect result,” Ban said. “All of this accomplishment will make the future bright for children.” Children enjoy the new school and parents find it more attractive to send their boys and girls there to study.
Principal Ban continues to work to improve the teaching and infrastructure at the new school.
“Ban has goals to continuously improve the teaching and infrastructure in order to become an outstanding school in his province,” said Thaisean. “The Lord has an amazing purpose for how it will be used to shape the lives of students here, to equip them with the confidence and skills to discover their passions and places in this world.”
Please pray that this school will continue to help the community nurture its youth in constructive and God-fearing ways. Pray also for Samaritan’s Purse staff as they help schools in Jesus’ Name.
