Khorn, Hoko, Chandrine and Puok High

another couple of cool friends i made, Khorn and Hoko, ask me if they can visit Poum Steung. so we bring all the cleaning supplies (trash bins, brooms and dust pans, and bathroom cleaning supplies) and posters saying "Khom Boh Somram" (Don't litter) neice and nephew of Khorn, who were orphans, also come along.

Khorn is a Cambodian from village, good English, works as a tourist driver like many in Siem Reap. Hoko is a Japanese who worked in a hotel before, then they got married a year ago, now they go back and forth between Siem Reap and Shizuoka, a province at the foot of Mt. Fuji.
At Poum Steung school we ask some more question to the head teacher Mr. Thai, and learn that the school is only five years here because there's not enough class rooms. More fund for the new room for sixth grade is currently being raised by Cambodian School Project (www.khmerschool.com).
What about after that? asks Hoko.
Thai says that children can be enrolled into Puok High School, in the nearby town of Puok, where Chey and Sophat live. It's good 8km away from Poum Steung. And not all the children in this village can afford bicycles.
Hoko brought up her worries for the near future of these children at Poum Steung. So many of them here may not even be able to continue getting proper education after fifth grade.

Chandrine (Left picture above, far right) is neice to Chey and Thai, which makes her a granddaughter to Mr. Sarith Ou, the president of Cambodian School Project, whom i never met but together with Mr. Roger Garms they support everything i do here. Chandrine goes to Puok high, and insisted that i make a visit. a typical high school girl. perky and giggly, all her friends come out to talk with me. chance to practice English conversation with a foreigner is precious for them.

Puok high has 5000+ students and 130 teachers. it's one of the growing town nearby Siem Reap. many of the people in this town commute on bumpy Highway 6 to work for the tourism in Siem Reap. the school needs more class rooms. they can't offer full time classes all day due to the lack of rooms, so students have many reces between classes. slowly, money is coming for more buildings but they are all single story building with limited functions. The high school offers Khmer, Math, Physics, Chemistry, Geography, History (Cambodian, American, Thai, etc...) Biology, English, French, Ideology and House Work
what's Ideology?
---we learn about society, economy and corruption.
what's House Work?
---sawing, cooking and other domestic skills, but you only learn off the books and there's no practice course.
No art, no music, no drama class.
Linny (left on the picture) wants to be a diplomat "but I think my family is too poor to send me to good collage in Phnom Penh, so someday my dream of becoming a diplomat may disappear." and Chandrine wants to become a teacher just like her Uncle Thai, and Granpa Sarith.