Chinese-aided school building inaugurated in NW Cambodia's remote area

Photo taken on June 18, 2022, shows a classroom of a Chinese-funded school building in the Techo Santepheap Primary School in Oddar Meanchey province, Cambodia. A Chinese-aided school building was inaugurated on Saturday in a remote area here in northwest Cambodia, giving hopes for better education to children in this rural area, officials said. Donated by Chinese-run NGO Cambodia International Charity Organization (CICO), the six-classroom building, along with an office, 10 toilets and a pumping well, is located in the Techo Santepheap Primary School in Dey Thmey Santepheap village of Oddar Meanchey province's Tropang Prasat district. (CICO/Handout via Xinhua)

ODDAR MEANCHEY, Cambodia, June 19 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese-aided school building was inaugurated on Saturday in a remote area here in northwest Cambodia, giving hopes for better education to children in this rural area, officials said.

Donated by Chinese-run NGO Cambodia International Charity Organization (CICO), the six-classroom building, along with an office, 10 toilets and a pumping well, is located in the Techo Santepheap Primary School in Dey Thmey Santepheap village of Oddar Meanchey province's Tropang Prasat district.

The inauguration ceremony was held with the participation of Duong Dara, an assistant to Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen and CICO President Ye Linna, as well as hundreds of teachers, parents and students.

Speaking at the event, Dara expressed his sincere thanks to Chinese donors for funding the project, saying that it was essential to improve education for rural children.

"An appropriate school building for children is the aspirations of all parents," he said.

"The donation has not only helped improve education for rural children but also contributed to promoting bonds of friendship between the peoples of our two countries," he added.

Dara called on parents to send their children to school, saying that with proper education, children will be a valuable asset for both the families and the country when they grow up.

Founded in March 2020, the CICO's main purpose is to help construct school buildings in poor and remote areas in order to enable children to have proper classrooms for learning, said the CICO president.

She said the Techo Santepheap Primary School is the fourth school that the organization has built in Cambodia. The first three were each built in Kampong Speu, Siem Reap and Kratie provinces.

"Education is the base for national development and poverty eradication," she said. "Our goal is to help children in poverty-stricken areas of Cambodia receive a good educational environment, so they can get a better education and will contribute to the country's development when they grow up."

At the event, some 500 school bags were also distributed for free to all students at the school.