Siem Reap, Cambodia
- Early Childhood Education Center -
When BTCV got connected with the Kompong Khleang Community, it was made up of over 160 families that lived and worked on floating homes and businesses on Tonle Sap Lake near Siem Reap. While it was a thriving community, one thing they did not have was infrastructure for early childhood education and literacy training.
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So this very unique and special community needed a very unique and special solution. With donor support and local community action, Be The Change Volunteers partnered with the Kompong Khleang Community in 2008 to build The Floating Learning Center - an early childhood education school and literacy training center - on a boat!
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Before this community had a mechanism for education that was readily accessible, there was no real hope for early childhood education and literacy training opportunities. The Floating Learning Center equipped students, teachers, and adults to thrive.
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It has been well documented that the waters of the Tonle Sap Lake have been irreversibly receding due to drought and illegal deforestation. As this happened, many of the floating communities became beached on dry land. Fortunately, the Kompong Khleang Community was able to fully preserve the Floating Learning Center structure and placed it on piers in the now-stationary elevated village. And, its mission and impact continue to grow. We are so proud to see this community adapt to change to keep educational opportunities going strong!
You can read the whole story about Cambodia – and all of the other projects in our first 10 years of education-focused development aid - in our book, Hand Delivered Hope.
