cvf logoBanner
The Cambodian Village Fund has 4 ongoing projects: Reach for the Sky scholarships, English language Program, Clean Drinking Water Program, and School and Road Construction. In addition we've done other projects to help the village.

Ongoing Projects

Scholarships for Girls--Reach for the Sky

We provide scholarships so girls can continue their education beyond 6th grade. Only 47% of girls from the Kaun Khlong Primary School go on to Middle School. We now have 26 girls "reaching for the sky." Studies have documented that girls' education is the best investment available in developing countries. A scholarship for a secondary school student is $400 pre year. A scholarship for a university student is $1,400 per year. These scholarships are literally changing lives. Girls are selected based on financial need and academic ability. None of our scholarship girls could go to university without our financial aid. Click here to learn more about the Reach for the Sky scholarship program. Beginning in 2016, we have added our first scholarship boy.

Reach for the Sky

English Language Program

Our English language program offers English classes free of charge after school to students in grades 4-9. The classes are taught at the Kaun Khlong Primary School. Our 4 English teachers each have 2 classes per day. We began our English language program with a single teacher for our scholarship girls. At the time very few people in the village spoke English. We quickly learned that many children wanted to learn English, but it was not taught in the Primary School. Our first class at the Primary School filled up immediately, in spite of being an optional class offered after school. The demand is so great that we now have 4 teachers. Click here for more information.

English Program

Safe Drinking Water

In May 2012 we launched our Safe Drinking Water program, intended to provide families with safe, pure water to drink. Since then we have distributed clean water systems to over 1000 families in 8 villages in Prey Touch Commune--Kaun Khlong, Prey Damrey, Prey Touch, Thmey, Dob Krorsang, Preannel, Steung Chork and Beung Pring.

Most families get water from wells and large containers with water collected during the rainy season. The well water is contaminated with bacteria. There are many cases of dysentery and children going to school sick or missing school. Many families boil water, but this is time-consuming, expensive and environmentally unsound. Boiling water requires gathering wood and heating the water on an open fire. This can be dangerous for little children who sometimes get burned by the fire or scalded by the water. Our safe drinking water system uses ceramic filters that produce safe drinking water without boiling.

The ceramic filters were developed by International Development Enterprises, a non-profit organization. They have been thoroughly tested to ensure that they produce safe drinking water that meets World Health Organization standards. The filters are made in Cambodia. They cost $14 each and can produce sufficient water for a family of 8.

Clean Water Program
Claen Water Program

Constructing Schools and Roads

We have completed construction of 3 classroom buildings, 2 at Kaun Khlong Primary School (a 5-classroom building completed in 2011 and a 3-classroom building completed in 2015) and one at Prey Touch Secondary School.. These buildings replaced old, crowded wooden buildings that were not safe for the children. Click here for more information.

We have also reconstructed the roads to the Primary School so the kids don't have to wade through knee-deep water during the rainy season. Click here to see photos of the project.

Classroom Building
Other Projects

Eye Care

In partnership with SEVA Foundation, an NGO that delivers eye care to third world countries, we have conducted two eye clinics in Kaun Khlong Village. The clinics, organized by our friend Denise McMahon, provided eye tests for school children and tested older villagers for cataracts and other eye problems. For those who required glasses or treatment, the services were free. All families from the villages of Kaun Khlong and Prey Damrey were screened and a over 100 pairs of glasses were provided and over 60 people received eye surgery. Click here for more information.

Eye Care

A Tuk-Tuk for the Village

The group that traveled to Cambodia with us in 2013 asked the village if they needed medical facilities such as a clinic. Instead of a clinic the people in the village suggested a tuk-tuk (motorcycle taxi). A tuk-tuk could be used to take poor patients, children and pregnant women to district and provincial health centers. Most people in the village don't have cars or motorbikes, and don't even have money to rent a vehicle or hire a taxi. Poor people sometimes borrow money from neighbors or a credit agent to pay for a ride. At night, even if money is available, it is very difficult to find a vehicle for hire. Patients have died because of a lack of transportation to a hospital.

So we decided to buy the village a tuk-tuk, compliments fo the 2013 travel group.

Tuk-tuk

Art Exchange

Several mothers at The Bishop's School in San Diego organized an art exchange between the 6th grade students at Bishop's and the 6th graders at Kaun Khlong Primary School. The Cambodian students sent pictures that they did as part of the art exchange. The Bishop's students and their parents prepared packets of art supplies for each Cambodian student, including a sketch pad (with original art by one of the Bishop's students), a box of colored pencils, a small white board, and a dry erase marker. We gave the art supplies to the students in Kaun Khlong when we were at the school in January 2013. Liz Siskowic, who was traveling with us and is an art teacher, conducted an art class for the Cambodian 6th graders.

Art Exchange

Playground Equipment for Kaun Khlong Primary School

In 2010, our friend, Ginger Allen, organized an "Olympathon" at Skyline Elementary School in Solana Beach. About 50 children participated to raise money for our school. With the money we purchased a variety of sports and playground equipment, including a swing, slide, soccer and volleyball equipment, hula hoops and jump ropes. Click here for more information. See more photos on our web album.

Sports Equipment

School Uniforms

In January 2008 and again in 2015 we distributed packages to each of the students at Kaun Khlong primary school. Each child received a school uniform, shoes, a notebook and a pen, a toothbrush, toothpaste and a bar of soap. For the 2015 project, our scholarship girls went to the market to purchase the uniforms and supplies, and assembled the packages for each of the 647 students in the Primary School. Click here to learn more.

School Uniforms

Bicycles, Food and Supplies

Our first project was in 2006 when we provided bicycles, food, blankets, and mosquito nets to 10 families in Kaun Khlong village. The supplies were distributed by our friend Man Seourn, whose daughter lives in the village. Click here to learn more.

Man Seourn and bicycles


Contact Us