Programs & Events
Ambassador Attends Re-Opening of Kampot High School
Kampot Prah Reach Samphea High School, Kampot Province
July 02, 2009
U.S. Ambassador Carol A. Rodley attended the re-opening of the Kampot Prah Reach Samphea High School in Kampot Province on July 2. The school’s recent renovation was aided by the United States Government through its Humanitarian Assistance program.
Before proceeding with the ribbon cutting ceremony and a tour of the new school building, Ambassador Rodley reflected on the rich history of the school and the legacy the United States Government left when it first built the school in 1958.
“The fact that we are here today, almost sixty years later, points at the depth and longevity of U.S. involvement with Cambodia and our dedication to helping the Royal Government improve the education system, both in terms of human capacity and infrastructure,” the Ambassador said in her address to an audience of students, teachers, education administrators, and government officials.
Ambassador Rodley also emphasized how important the newly reconstructed building is for the students. “We are helping to provide a space for young students in Kampot to learn and play, and for their teachers to focus more on instruction than on worries about the environment in which they work.”
The renovation project began in 2007. Previous to the structural renovations and repairs, the roof, stairs, doors and window frames were in dire conditions. Only the ground floor was in use because the second floor of the school was unusable. It had severely deteriorated due to years of weather and war.
Today, the school stands stronger than ever, having benefitted from the reconstructive work that employed over 50 members of the local Kampot community.
Kampot Prah Reach Samphea High School is just one of many schools receiving educational support and assistance. Through its humanitarian assistance program the United States Government is currently rebuilding and renovating schools throughout Cambodia and hopes to improve the quality and availability of public education in rural Cambodia.
In closing Ambassador Rodley encouraged the students to enjoy their “new school building and to study hard in it.” The value of hard work and education is critical to the future of Cambodia, the Ambassador said. “It is the younger generation that will be relied upon to shape what Cambodia will be in the coming years.”
