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The Cambodia Rural School Project
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Koeun
Ratha is a 15-year-old fifth grade student at the Prey Kub Nippon Foundation
School.
She was ranked first in her class of 26 students
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On
herself:
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I
have three sisters and one brother; and three of my siblings study at school
with me. My father is a farmer, while my mother is a housewife. She has a
chronic heart disease, so she can’t work in the fields. Our house is right
down the road from the school.
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On
the new building:
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I
remember being very excited when the new school was being built, and I wanted to
study here a lot. After the school was finished, the number of students
increased. I like to study here a lot. This building is much stronger and
prettier than the old building. All the other children around here like it as
well.
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On
her spare time:
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I
always go to study English after school. The school is run by an NGO and courses
there are free of charge. I think the NGO is Baha’i. I also help my parent
with their work at home. When I don’t go to school, I go across the border
into Thailand and do small jobs like cutting grass. I earn 50 baht [ca. $1.25] a
day. I’ll work from 7 until 12, then have one hour for lunch and then work
again from 1 until 4 o’clock.
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In
the future:
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I
want to be a teacher. If I become a teacher, I want to teach the next generation
so that they become well educated.
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If she could travel
anywhere
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I
would travel to Angkor Wat, because I want to see the ancient things they have
there.
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