English Language School
Cambodians view English as a way to end the cycle of poverty and create paths to opportunity and so TSF recognized long ago the import of making English classes available. The first free after-school English programs were established in Roteang, where village children have always eagerly attended the classes, even after a long day of learning. TSF continues to expand English language programming and develop the best methods for imparting those skills to a wider audience. TSF has replicated the Roteang English school model in similarly sized rural villages, and currently touches the lives of nearly 750 students a day, in 36 English classes occurring each weekday across a number of villages. We collaborate with local staff to enhance the use of technology in classrooms, increase the use of innovative learning methods, encourage native speakers to work with students, and facilitate increased opportunities for faculty to improve their own skills as English teachers and speakers.
Sewing Center
The Sharing Foundation’s commitment to education includes donating over 1,500 public school uniforms annually to Cambodian children who cannot afford the required uniform- without which, they are unable to attend public school. At our Sewing Center, located in Roteang Village, we employ local women to make uniform sets, which include two white shirts with two pants or skirts.
The Sewing Center also designs and produces Cambodian crafts, mostly women’s handbags, which are then brought to the United States and sold by volunteers, making the sewing center self-sustaining. The seamstresses are paid a fair wage per piece and are able to stay in their home village to meet the needs of their families. Like the farmers, they are required to send their children to school.
The Computer School
Opened in 2006, the computer school offers computer classes five days a week utilizing ten donated laptops and a few old but serviceable desktops. Students are picked by lottery and attend daily for six weeks to learn word processing and spreadsheets, and experience a bit of the internet on our one slow connection.
Roteang Village School
The Sharing Foundation provides general support for more than 800 children who attend the Roteang village public school by donating supplies and uniforms for needy students. Even the ten dollar cost of two uniforms a year can prevent a child from attending school. The Foundation built a new playground, as well as new classrooms and a library in 2004 — and has continued to invest in that library ever since, with recent updates adding new books and refreshed reading spaces that make it one of the most welcoming school libraries in the region. The school, in return, allows TSF to use their space nightly for our English school.
Beng Krom School
Beng Krom is a very poor village on the far side of the Mekong River. Since 2006, we have provided school uniforms twice every year, plus all the school copybooks, pens, and pencils for this school of 750 children.
In 2004 we learned that the Beng Krom school had extremely high arsenic levels in the wells the government had installed for drinking water. Thanks to our donors, TSF built a rainwater collection system using rain collected off the school roof, funneled into a large tank and pumped into filtered vats with spigots. In 2008, we built new latrines for the school. More recently, at the principal’s request, we built a large playground — the first ever for these children.
We have also continued to update and expand the Beng Krom school library, ensuring students have access to books and learning materials that reflect their curiosity and potential.
Naomi’s School – Farm Literacy School
As an integral part of our farm project in Roteang village, farmers are required to send their children to school. Knowing that resources are extremely limited for these rural families, TSF built a two-room schoolhouse on our farmland and hired local staff to teach Khmer and math skills. Most of the farmers are illiterate, and in this way their children receive a solid educational foundation. Over 125 children attend in three shifts every day.
The school has a special heart to it: it is now lovingly taught by a brother and sister team from the local community, who bring both deep roots and genuine warmth to their classrooms every day. We call it Naomi’s School named in honor of Naomi Kuziemski, honoring her legacy of empowering youth through education.
Sponsorship Program
High School Sponsorship Program
Through the generosity of our supporters, each year TSF selects ten to twelve 8th grade students for High School Sponsorship out of more than 125 applications. The financial aid predominantly covers private after-school tutorials offered by local teachers, and other incidental educational expenses. This help enables students to make real progress and stay in school rather than working in the fields. High school sponsors write personal letters to their students three times a year and receive a letter back — this intercontinental connection is a key factor in each student’s success. Graduating students who pass their college entrance exam and demonstrate English proficiency are eligible to receive a four-year University Sponsorship.
University Sponsorship Program
With the help of committed sponsors, each year eight to ten dedicated students who have completed high school, passed the national university entrance exam, and demonstrated English proficiency are awarded full scholarships to begin a four-year college program in Phnom Penh. These young people move from their rural homes into TSF dorms in the capital city, where they pursue their education, experience city life, and learn to live independently. Students are supported regardless of their field of interest; current and recent majors include economics, marketing, English language, information technology, architecture, engineering, and medicine.
University sponsors write personal letters to their students three times a year and receive a letter back. TSF oversees the dorms, supports students in their studies, and provides guidance in life and career skills. To date, over 110 TSF college students have graduated, each going on to skilled, satisfying careers. Many remain active in a TSF alumni network, staying connected to the organization and to the young people who follow in their footsteps.
Mondulkiri – Village Improvement Project
For many years, TSF staff member Elephant has quietly supported his home community of Mondulkiri on his own — a village in the eastern part of Cambodia, roughly five to six hours from Phnom Penh, where he grew up and where his family still lives. Mondulkiri has extremely limited educational infrastructure, with literacy rates well below acceptable levels. Elephant’s deep ties to the community, and his vision for its children, brought Mondulkiri to TSF’s attention.
TSF Executive Director Ann Trudeau visited Mondulkiri for the first time in January 2020. She heard the story of a local teacher who had started a school under a tree, then acquired a tent, then built a roof — and eventually, with the help of villagers, constructed a permanent school building on a chosen site. Inspired by that determination, TSF began supporting the community in 2020 by paying teachers, providing uniforms, and covering student transportation. After the pandemic, the government built an improved road, making it easier for children to reach school consistently.
Today, the Chheng Primary School serves the Mondulkiri community — and it is in need of renovation. TSF is currently assessing how best to support those improvements, ensuring that the children of Mondulkiri have a safe, welcoming space to learn.
