Cambodia School Libraries

Completion Report
Prepared for: Tim Ferriss
Project ID: KH-CRR-12-0008

Through your generous support, Room to Read established a new library in Cambodia.
Project Location
The Chi He Primary School is located in Kampong Cham province of Cambodia. Located in the Mekong Delta region, Kampong Cham is the most populous province in Cambodia, supporting a population of more than 1.83 million people. With a warm and wet climate, Kampong Cham has a rich agricultural industry with more than 80 percent of residents working in farming and/or rubber industries. While farmers raise livestock and grow rice and vegetables during the rainy season, they often need to leave their villages and find work in neighboring towns during the dry season, when few crops grow. In recent years, many young people have left their homes to find jobs in larger cities or even neighboring countries. A small number of people also make a living as public officers, craftsmen, or small business owners.

Name: Chi He Primary School State/Province: Kampong Cham District/Zone: Koh Sotin City/Village: Phsar Thmei Grades: Kindergarten through 6 Number of Students Female: 222 Male: 248 Total: 470 Number of Teachers Female: 9 Male: 5 Total: 14

The exterior of the new building

Despite the picturesque landscape, Kampong Cham is quickly becoming overcrowded and faces problems with homelessness, poverty, and malnutrition. Currently, 33 percent of Kampong Chams population lives below the nationally defined poverty-line. This forces many children to drop out of

A student reading a story to a classmate

school in order to help their family financially. In 2009, only 9.6 percent of children in Kampong Cham completed secondary school. Of these graduates, less than one third were female. Additionally, while the provincial literacy rate is a promising 70 percent, only 28 percent of the literate population is female. With high school dropout rates and a clear disparity between male and female opportunities in education, this growing province stands to benefit significantly from Room to Reads programs. The Chi He Primary School is located approximately 148 kilometers from Phnom Penh, the capital city of Cambodia.
The exterior of the new library building

Reason for Support

Reason for establishing the library, as outlined in the project application report: Educational resources are extremely limited at this school, and students are unable to access reading materials outside of their regular classes. This school also does not have enough space or furniture to establish a library, and the community lacks the resources to build a library on their own. The construction of a new, dedicated library will provide students with the muchneeded materials and support they need to practice their budding literacy skills and develop a habit of reading. The school principal, teachers, and local community are excited about the new library, and plan on contributing at least 15 percent of the total project budget in cash and in-kind donations. They also plan on forming a construction committee to help oversee the project. Once construction is complete, Room to Read will donate books and other materials for the library and provide three years of library management training and support.

Books provided by Room to Read on display in the library

Project Details
The new library is seven by nine meters, with a three by two meter front veranda. The building consists of a reinforced concrete frame, brick walls, a paved concrete floor finished with tiles, and a roof made of a steel frame covered with cement tiles. The library has a wooden door and wooden windows to ensure adequate light and ventilation. The library is equipped with a display area made of wooden bars mounted on the walls around the library and bookshelves affixed to the walls.

Furniture and other resources provided by Room to Read

Resources Provided
To ensure the long-term sustainability of the libraries, Room to Read seeks community and school co-investment from the very beginning of the project. One of the most vital contributions the school makes is to select one or two school staff or volunteers to serve as librarians. In Cambodia, Room to Read also involves families and communities in the libraries by including them in the design and construction of outdoor reading spaces, called khosts. Community members provide construction materials,
COMPLETION REPORT PAGE 2 Children participating in an activity in the school library

including bamboo and wood, as well as labor for the khosts. These spaces can then be used for students to read outside when the library is open and during holidays. Room to Read Cambodia further engages families and other community members in the following ways: Building the capacity of the local department of education officials, head teachers, and field facilitators to conduct activities to engage family members and other community members through meetings held quarterly. Conducting reading awareness and library campaigns in the community. Inviting parents to visit the library, participate in events, and make decisions regarding the sustainability of the library.

Students sharing their favorite book

Resources Provided by Community 15.00% of total Monitoring and Support Obtaining Legal Clearances and Titles Construction Materials; Skilled Labor
A student reading one of the new books

The School Libraries team works hard to select the most appropriate and engaging reading materials to stock the libraries. Because of a nationwide scarcity of childrens books in Cambodia, especially books for early readers, the Room to Read Book Publishing program works closely with the School Libraries team to help supplement the books we purchase from Cambodian retailers and publishers or receive through Room to Reads global English book donation program. Many of the books provided to libraries in Cambodia are selected with the government curriculum in mind, which helps ensure the books are useful to teachers, support the learning objectives of the school, and help improve the childrens educational achievements. Room to Read has provided the following books and other resources to this library: Resources Provided by Room to Read 85.00% of total 56 English Books 876 Room to Read local language books 632 Non- Room to Read local language books Building Design; Construction Materials; Display Boards; Monitoring and Support; Shelves; Skilled Labor; Transportation of Materials Art Supplies; Chair - Students; Chair - Teacher; Cushions/Mats; Desk - Students; Desk - Teacher; Educational Materials; Flooring/Minor Floor Repairs; Furniture; Games/Puzzles; Globes/Maps; Monitoring and Support; Posters; Shelves; Stationery; Tables; Transportation of Materials

Another student enjoying one of the new books

Trainings
In Cambodia, all librarians and teachers involved with Room to Read libraries receive eight days of training in year one and three days of training in year two and three of Room to Read support. These trainings build on each other and serve as refresher courses and venues for working through problems that have arisen over the year.

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The Cambodia School Libraries program also supports educators by providing coaching and program implementation feedback during monitoring and support visits that take place on average twice a month over the three years of Room to Read support. During these visits, the our team oversees and supports library establishment, provides additional support for topics covered in trainings, and encourages school management teams to involve all teachers in daily library operations. Visits are conducted by Room to Read field facilitators, who are also teachers that support a cluster of schools. In the past year, our program focused on training teachers and librarians on how to best use the library period to support the habit of reading. The Cambodia School Libraries program also conducts "Training of Trainers" workshops. These trainings are often directed towards government officials who conduct the above mentioned trainings in local venues close to the project sites. This allows for small, more specialized and interactive trainings and reduces the need for educators to travel great distances to receive trainings. Start Date 3/15/2012 Length of Training 2.0 days Training Topic Basic Construction Techniques; Building Maintenance; Financial Management; Project Management Book leveling; Library management; Library period and reading activities; Sustainability Building Maintenance Book leveling; Engaging other teachers; Library management; Library period and reading activities

9/10/2012

5.0 days

10/24/2012 11/22/2012

1.0 days 3.0 days

The Chi He Primary School library will receive three full years of additional support from Room to Read, which will include additional books, two more training sessions for the school teachers and librarians, support for family and community engagement, and regular monitoring and support visits.

Photos of Dedication Plaque

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