The roof of the building is shaded by trees so the panels were installed on a stand. Here, the team prepares the area.

No matter what goes on, there's always an audience.

The completed installation, just behind the building it will electrify.

Thanks to everyone who made this project possible. Now we’ll actually have some light to teach by and somewhere to plug in things like CD players and projectors. Next up, computers~!

Students are always happy to see high tourist season come as it means we will have lots of visitors and that increases their chances of being taken out to see the temples or in the case of this particular group of students from Srayang, to go to the Cultural Village.

On Jan 22, long time friends of PLF Sylvie Ducarme and Philippe Dierickx from Belgium came to show the students from Srayang the Cultural Village.

From Ponheary: “They all stayed stuck in the place, because they’d never seen the shows like this before. They visited the wax museum where they learn a lot about their ancestor, history. They attended many shows (dances) that show different culture, different activities in different provinces in the whole country.”

The students report that the highlight of the day was the concept of an all-you-can-eat BUFFET~We apologize to the owners of the Cultural Village who are possibly about to file bankruptcy~!

Solar panels on the new building at Srayang

The availability of electricity means many things for the students living at the house.

First and foremost, it means lights. There is no darkness quite like the jungle darkness at night and so certainly having the property lit up is a wonderful thing. The students feel more secure and can get more done in the evenings.  After a brief course in “how to plug things in” and what electrical safety means, we moved on to what else electricity means. Reading at night! Board games after dinner! Phones! Fans! Radios! And best of all—Computers!

Next door to the Dormitory, a small house has recently sprung up, built by the math teacher and he as well as about 8 secondary students from very remote areas are all living there while these students try to go to school on their own. Their situation over there is a bit tenuous, so we all voted to run an extra wire to their house. Now everyone on “our street” has power!

The first wired light at Koh Ker School

Meanwhile, at Koh Ker School 20 km away, the first panels were installed on the Library and it as well as the office, food storage, kitchen and front of the school were wired for lights and electrical outlets.  At the moment there are some male teachers sleeping at the school so they are especially happy to have some reliable lights. The cook is also happy to no longer be preparing breakfast for 200 children in the early morning dark.

Electricity at the school also means the staff can charge their phones, work in the evenings and run a fan, just in time for hot season. Gone now are the car batteries that required hauling several kilometers to be recharged every few days.

We're not sure what could look more incongruous than this technology on top of this ramshackle building, but this visual really tells the story of what is happening at Koh Ker.

The solar project at Koh Ker School will expand with the advent of computer deployment, slated for whenever it is that we can find a computer teacher up there!

Last week PLF crew spent three days at Srayang Dorm and brought with us the first computers that the students there have ever seen.

They're looking the laptop

Srayang Dormitory Students

This is the first time that the students at Srayang Dorm start to learn how to use the laptop. Those laptop were bring from Tchey Computer Lab. They’re start to learn and how to charge the laptop with how to plug in the new solar energy and starting with the program also.

Those laptop have been in use at Tchey school since 2008. It’s really use for the child and now have been taken to Srayang for the students there. The thing we like is the one laptop that they can use or learn by themselves without the teacher but the PLF team need to introduce about the danger because all of the students didn’t know about the electricity which came that same weekend with the solar. The special things in the program that we’re focus is the typing in the laptop that it’s will be improve their English language also.

They're learning how to use the laptop

After three days the students can know about the program and know how to write or typing in those computer. It’s not only one in typing. They can use Paint program, music, take video or photo by the webcam of those computer. They’re clever to find something in the computer by themselves and they like it so much but the really they didn’t forget about their study too. They have to do the first thing is the studying, the second thing is complete the homework from school and after that they’re start to learn and research in the laptop all together.

On the left is the original "bridge" and on the right the bridge we built in 2008, in a state of serious disrepair. During the floods this year, the water completely engulfed it

The new bridge, almost complete!

The new bridge will mean that not only can the students get to school safely in the rainy season, but the people in Koh Ker village will be able to get out with their motobikes, loaded with the usual goods and passengers~

Recently Diana Gross, the “Traveling Teacher” came to work with this class on storyboarding and videography. The crowning achievement of the week was a video by Soy Sen and his team highlighting the problem of a lack of working wells in his village. Response to his video was enormous and resulted in contact from a well builder who will arrive in May to help Soy Sen and his team fix the broken wells and add some new ones.

Diana Gross at Tchey Computer Lab

Read more on this amazing project on Diana’s website and be sure to take a moment to see some of the student’s work. Many many thanks to Diana for this big push forward.

Water Wells in my Village

A Day in My Life by Nary

My Future Dreams by Sothy

By Ponheary Ly

“When I got the invitation from UNESCO to be a speaker, I was very excited, because I never thought that I could be recognized by so big organization especially this is the international conference.

I was panic, because I felt I didn’t have enough knowledge. But in the end I could do it with help from Lori Carlson, PLF president and Farida , my dear cousin and some people staying in 7 Candles guest house .

I wrote the presentation and Lori help to correct only a few things, Farida help me to put it in powerpoint, the guests in the guest house help me when I practiced it many times at home.

A little bit difficult when Lori had to buy her ticket when we wanted to get in the same plane. Expensive for her. But however she got it.

All aboard for Jakarta

Going inside the airport we talked a lot about our students if they could get a field trip in the airport. That would be fun~!

Getting to Jakarta, excited. The morning we walked around the hotel to look for the restaurant for breakfast, the conference room. I was excited to meet many important people in the conference.

Many speakers from different countries sharing their experiences as well they gave the lesson the same as the teachers in the university to the students. I understood some, not all. But what I got in my brain from the conference are important to share to the schools, to my family and my friends.

The whole family feel to be honor of this big event very much.

I was very happy to give the speech when I saw people listen and understand me very well. Here is the link if you want to see the video.

I wish to give the speech again and I hope more and more people in the world can help our world to be good, get out from the poverty by using the education to get the creativity and entrepreneurship.

After the conference we went to another town in Indonesia to visit some temples there. We saw a lot of public art in Yogyakarta that make us to create idea to improve the schools in our country by introducing more art programs so the kids can learn to think more freely.”

The October monsoon season was a record breaker with 3 major floods occurring in Siem Reap in as many weeks. For 5 weeks the city and surrounding area were under a meter of water and the PLF team was challenged greatly by the logistics on how to deliver supplies and uniforms to 2500 students, make as many lunches and deliver bikes, prizes and backpacks.

Normally opening day of school occurs the first week of October. This year, it took until November 7 to get the job done, with Wat Bo School being the last to dry out.

We are very happy to welcome our 2500 students back to school!

3km trek to school from the road in what used to be a road but is now a small river.

Wet but still proud!

Secondary School students from Srayang return to Koh Ker to deliver supplies

Big graduating class at Koh Ker!!!!

Kalyan at bike distribution at Koh ker

First in class at Koh Ker

A bit wet at Koh Ker!

Angkor High students (former Wat Bo Students) coming to pick up supplies

The road to Angkor High

Convincing a student and his mother at Koh Ker to come back to school

Loading and unloading, loading and unloading, etc

Loading the bikes

Lunch prep at Knar

Prize winners at Knar

Prize winners at Knar

Knar

Ariny and Hong in the world's smokiest kitchen at Knar

Prizes at Knar

Choosing the bike

Lunch!

Kindergarteners wondering what is going on!

New bikes for the first in class

Ponheary with graduating 6th graders at Knar

New kindergarten class at Knar

Backpack distribution

Lunch at Knar School

Knar alumni

Returning Knar Student

The long ride home

The "Loading Team"

Chamnan loading the trucks

Loading up

Farida and Kalyan enjoying the festivities at Tchey School

Prize winners at Tchey

Flag raising at Tchey

Applause for the winners of "First in Class"

"Who is in the 12th grade?"

Bike delivery at Tchey

Unloading the bikes is usually a pretty happy event

Secondary school students from Tchey who are now Computer Lab teacher assistants

Tchey alumni

12th graders from Tchey School

Tchey School

Opening Day at Wat Bo School

This year there are  just over 400 students who have graduated from our primary school program and moved on to secondary school. Among those are 64 students who are in upper secondary school (grades 10-12).  It costs $25 per month per student to enroll them in the second half of the school day  (only the first half is free).  Without this full day of school, passing the 12th grade exam is nearly impossible. This year we will make a big push toward enrolling these students. We’ve got half of them enrolled this year ($8,000) and need another $8,000 to fund the rest. It’s a big commitment but necessary if we want to see these kids graduate high school.

A recurring donation of $25 a month will sponsor one of the remaining 32 students.

PLFC’s first big project was to raise operating expenses (food, medicine, clothes, books, tutoring etc.) for the Dorm at Srayang for the 2011/12 school year.

The PLF Canada was started by Patti Shedden and Greg Nelson of Toronto who have been supporters of PLF for some years. They intend to broaden the scope of Ponheary’s work with a focus on the programs that support students as they move through secondary school and on to University as well as support the programs already in place as needed.

Meet Patti and Greg and join the conversation with other members of the PLFC on Facebook.

Patti Shedden at Srayang Dorm with the new residents for 2011-12 School Year

We are all very happy indeed to see this expansion of the organization and 6 years ago never imagined we would see our students go so far.  Many thanks to all of our supporters who continue to push us forward.

AUSTRALIA ARE YOU LISTENING?