A Dream School for Village Children in Cambodia

Seametrey Residential and Bilingual School (SRBS)

A dream school for village children in Cambodia

Phase 1 campaign to build a nursery house: started on 14th November 2012

Phase 2 campaign to build a primary house: 15th December 2012

When we started this campaign, we didn't know what to expect.  Our goal seemed like a receding horizon but we thought we would not know if we didn't try. So try we did and support poured in and made our dream come to life. We are ever so grateful to all our funders. Thanks to them the construction of the nursery house will start in mid-February 2013. 

Now there are still 25 days to go on indiegogo. We need $20,000 for the primary house. We are realistic. We do not expect to raise this much. But anything would help. We have been raising funds elsewhere and friends have been helping too. In this season of love we reach out to all good willed people in the world to bear us in mind and help build a better future for children in Cambodia. You can see in our updates what kind of education we offer our children. It goes beyond basic skills and survival. They thrive and breathe happiness, don't they?

Who I am

My name is Muoy You. I am from Cambodia, home of the magnificent Angkor temples, exquisite Apsara dance but also the site of one of the most devastating genocides in history.

In 1975, the Khmer Rouge came to power and my country was ripped apart. Up to two million people were killed by the regime, among them my parents and siblings. A scholarship from the French Government saved my life - I was in France at the time. But I was forced to live in exile for 31 years, waiting for the chance to come home.

Now I am back in my country and my passion is to help children. Since education saved my life, this is the vehicle I have chosen.

The school: Seametrey Children’s Village

I founded Seametrey Children’s Village, a Montessori school for children that come from all backgrounds and income levels. "Seametrey" stands for Freedom, Civilization and Love. In the school, poor and rich children work and play together and parents pay according to their income. We now have 104 students, aged from 2 to 22. The majority of them are poor.  Volunteers come from all over the world to help us and we have 10 children and five support staff who live under our roof.

What we are raising money for

We are now at a turning point. Our lease will not be renewed after 2015 and without a new location, our school will be forced to close. We cannot afford a new location in Phnom Penh where we are presently located. And we are also seeking new ways to provide quality education for those children residing in the countryside.

We are excited to have found land in TonleBatiLake (30km south of Phnom Penh) where we want to build a new and improved school.

My dream is to provide quality education to Khmer children.

Our first step, is to build a nursery and primary school as individual houses. We would like to build and equip the first house to be ready for September 2013. The cost will be $15,000 split between the construction of the buildings, the school equipment, and a year's salary for 2 teachers.

$2,000 to fill in the land and put in drain pipes.

$2,500 to build the foundation and hard floor

$2,500 to build the walls and roof

$1,000 for a bio-digestor and two toilets

$1,000 for fence and landscaping

$2,400 to equip the school.

$3,600 for the salaries of two nursery teachers for a year.

This will benefit 50 children in the surrounding villages who would otherwise have no access to early education. 

Why are we raising funds?

I am passionate about education and want to empower poor children by providing them with access to quality education. I want to pass on my legacy to them so they are able to realise their own opportunities and dreams.

My dream for my country is to build academic excellence and human excellence, and I am convinced it must start from early childhood. Only then, will Cambodia truly develop.

I cannot do this alone. I need your help. So how can you help?  Firstly, by making a donation. Anything you give, no matter how small, will have an incredible ripple effect for years to come.For each donation, we have a unique way to thank you (see our perks).

 Secondly, you can help by spreading the word about our unique project or, if visiting Cambodia, staying at You Khin House, the beautiful guesthouse we have opened to help sustain our school. You can also support us by joining our team of volunteers. No matter what you do, everything will make a difference. By working together we can make this beautiful dream come true for the benefit of children in Cambodia.

Thank you.

Acknowledgements

Seametrey would like to thank the videographer Daniel Valencia who has kindly donated his time and expertise to produce this video.

School Website   www.seametreycambodia.org

Guest House website www.youkhinhouse.com

Jam project: www.kanikajam.com

A video to cheer you up: www.youtube.com/watch?v=CirWdmlTN6s

Energy Is Education: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLecv19EE6E

Recently published in Latitudes magazine, in the Netherlands: http://latitudes.nu/keeping-hope-alive-in-cambodia-muoy-you-comes-full-circle/