Chinese embassy-funded school building inaugurated in SW Cambodia

KAMPOT, Cambodia, July 25 (Xinhua) -- A school building, funded by the Chinese embassy to Cambodia through the Mudhita Foundation, was inaugurated at the Samdech Ta Primary School in southwestern Cambodia's Kampot town over the weekend.

Cambodian Princess Norodom Arunrasmy, founder of the Mudhita Foundation, took part in the inauguration ceremony of the four-classroom concrete building with a tiled roof in the Kampong Kandal commune of Kampot town on Saturday.

Dubbed the "King Father-Queen Mother School Building", the nine-meter-by-32-meter school building is benefiting some 300 students.

The project was started in April and completed in October 2020, but the official inauguration could not be made soon after that because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Speaking at the event, Arunrasmy said education is the foundation for national development and poverty eradication, expressing her confidence that the new school building will contribute to improving the learning environment for children.

"A proper school building is the aspiration of all children, and I believe that this donation has not only provided a better learning atmosphere for students, but also contributed to promoting the fraternal friendship between the peoples of Cambodia and China," the princess said.

Arunrasmy, who is also a privy councilor for the Supreme Privy Council to King Norodom Sihamoni, said that with the support from the Chinese embassy to Cambodia, the Mudhita Foundation has helped build several school buildings and libraries in Cambodia.

Khieu Makara, principal of the Samdech Ta Primary School, expressed his gratitude to the Mudhita Foundation and the Chinese embassy for funding the project, saying that it was very valuable for both students and teachers.

"A good school building will lead to better attendance and concentration that will ultimately lead to students' better performance," he said.

At the event, the princess also donated schoolbags and stationery to children and some gifts to teachers at the school.

Founded in 2014, the Mudhita Foundation mainly focuses its activities on three sectors, namely humanitarian tasks, education and public health.