The Hun Sen Koang Kang Primary School library, was funded by the AlphaBet Club in 2010 through the organization Room to Read. The children and teachers were provide with a new learning environment full of interesting and colorful books and educational materials through the generous support of AlphaBet Club members.

Building report

Find below the detailed reports of the library that was built, the training provided and various photos of the children who have benefited from this project.

Hun Sen Koang Kang Library COMPLETION Report
Received 2011

Increasing Access to Literacy

The library consists not only of the building of the library structure but also includes all the necessary resources to increase literacy awareness for both school and members of the local community:

• 31 English Books
• 540 Room to Read LLP (Local Language Publishing Program) Books selected with the government curriculum in mind, which helps ensure the books are useful to teachers and support the learning objectives of the school
• 906 Local Language Books purchased from Cambodian retailers and publishers
• Art Supplies; Furniture; Educational Materials; Games; Globes; Maps; Mats; Paint; Posters; Puzzles; Shelves; Stationery; Tables

It is accessable to 404 girls and 107 boys in grades 1-6 during breaks, before/after school or with teachers during class periods. The library provides a print rich environment that enables and supports the creation of reading habits in students in a province where just 9.6% of children traditionally complete secondary school.

Supporting Sustainable Reading

To ensure long-term sustainability, the school is assisted in training two librarians with skills to organize and manage the library, conduct activities and motivate and support children in reading. Future refresher trainings will reinforce these topics and provide strategies for the educator to cooperate with other teachers. They will also emphasize improving the use of library resources and engaging the community in helping to maintain and ensure library sustainability.Communities also contribute by forming library management committees and set aside a reading period for each class schedule to instil a culture of reading in the school.

Hun Sen Koang Kang Primary School library will receive three full years of additional support which will include approximately 1,000 new books and regular monitoring visits to assess the library and provide continued support to the librarian and teachers to ensure the library provides many years of reading enjoyment for the students.

Project Details

The library is located in the Mekong delta region, Kampong Cham, which is the most populous province in Cambodia, supporting a population of over 1.83 million people. With a warm and wet climate, Kampong Cham has a rich agricultural industry with over 80% of residents working in farming and/or rubber production. Despite the picturesque landscape, Kampong Cham is quickly becoming overcrowded, facing growing problems with homelessness, poverty, and malnutrition. With 33% of the population living below the nationally defined poverty-line, many children are forced to forgo school in order to financially contribute to their family. In 2009, 9.6% of Kampong Cham’s children completed secondary school. Of that 9.6%, only 2.9% were female students. Furthermore, while the provincial literacy rate is a promising 70%, only 28% of that 70% is comprised of women and girls. With a clear inequity between male and female opportunities in education, Room to Read stands to have a significant impact in this growing province.

“The AlphaBet Club has generously supported a Room to Read School Room project in Laos, a Reading Room in Cambodia and ten years of girl’s education in Vietnam. Thank you to all involved for joining Room to Read in our effort to bring the lifelong gift of education to millions of children in developing countries. Your support will make a real difference to the lives of the children your funds support.”

John Wood
Founder and Executive Chairman, Room to Read

Facts

Project ID: KH-RR-10-0002
Name: Hun SenKoang Kang Primary School
Province: Kampong Cham
District: PonheaKrek
City/Village: Koang Kang
Grades: 1 to 6

Number of Students

• Female Students: 404
• Male Students: 117
• Total Students: 521

Number of Teachers

• Female Teachers: 13
• Male Teachers: 5
• Total Teachers: 18