Who are we?

Sala Monkey is a non-profit primary school located in rural Kep, Cambodia. We provide tuition-free, 21st-Century education to 100+ Cambodian children, primarily from underprivileged families in our community.

We received a very generous $25,000 donation from our education partner, Mr. Jo Yahich to kick things off with construction of the library and performing arts building. The total estimated cost of the project will run approximately $40,000+ which includes the completion of the building, furniture, computers, book supply, interactive whiteboard, video screen, various library resources, school librarian salary, etc., In summary: Building, furnishing and operating the library and performing arts building.

Our goal is to match the generous $25,000 donation from our partner, Mr. Jo.

What does the project include?

We are currently fundraising in order to raise money for the completion of our new school and public library and performing arts building. The project is segmented into three areas: Library, Music, and Dance.

Library

This will be the first modern school and community library here in the Kep Province! The entire first floor will be dedicated library space and will include both physical and digital books along with a computer lab.

Our mission is to not only provide literary material, but to develop the reading skills of all children here in Kep. As the 2nd/3rd grade teacher, founder/school director here at Sala Monkey Primary School and former volunteer English teacher at the local government secondary school, I know just how great the need is for a public library.

The library will provide a wonderful opportunity for the children to develop English fluency as well as strengthen their reading skills in their native language, Khmer.

Here at Sala Monkey Primary School, we have an intensive English literacy program and many of our students find achieving literacy in English much easier than Khmer.

Of course, we want all of the children to achieve a high-level of literacy in both languages!

The library portion of the project will not only provide books, computers, and other physical resources, but we will offer our own English literacy program to all children and work to develop a sustainable program for Khmer literacy with skilled local teachers. We will offer classes and tutoring for those students who continue to struggle in order for the students to achieve success!

Dance and Music

Dance and music are so important for children for a host of reasons! The physical benefits of dance, the confidence building of learning and communicating through music.

As a Cambodian-International school, it's important for us to teach and preserve Cambodian culture through traditional Khmer dance and music which we have already started developing.

We will offer our students a modern environment to study dance and music of all genres, hosting several performances throughout the school year and we will have the opportunity to host skilled volunteers in the area of music and dance.

Extra arts education boosts students’ writing scores — and their compassion, big new study finds

Our students will learn traditional Cambodian Apsara dance and music.

How Will My Donation Help?

We are over 50% completed in the structure of the building. The funding that we receive now will mostly help to cover the cost of the roof, numerous windows, doors, staircase, tile floor, ceiling, paint, etc.,

Donate $5 - to purchase one bag of cement! Even small donations can make a big difference.

Donate $75 to purchase one truckload of building rock or sand!

Donate $100 and you can provide a truckload of bricks! We need tons of bricks!

What Will It Look Like When You're Finished?

NOTE: This is an example of how our building will look when it is completed. We've taken some inspiration from the design of the beautiful Krabi International School in Krabi, Thailand. *We do not own these images.

I Want To Support Literacy and Arts in Cambodia!

Why Is This Project So Important?

If you know the history of Cambodia and the brutal genocide that took place here at the hands of the Khmer Rouge from 1975-1979, you will know that the education system was completely destroyed and the educated were forced to escape the country or face imminent death.

This library facility is more than just a library. It is dedicated to all of our Cambodian citizens and family members who never had the opportunity to realize their hopes and dreams through arts and education.

The Cambodian education system is still in a state of flux and rebuilding. We are very proud to have our library and performing arts center sit among the farms and rice fields of Kep, providing resources to many people who otherwise would not have access to books or the internet.

Help Us Build!

Every contribution that we receive will help us to build this incredible facility. Our donors will have a sense of pride knowing they are contributing directly to improving literacy rates within our community and to have a direct hand in rebuilding the education that was lost.

Upon completion of the library facility, we will recognize each of our donors during a special dedication ceremony with a permanent record of your generosity.

Example of how your donation can help:

Cement = $5 per bag
Rock and Sand =$75 per truckload
Bricks = $100 large truckload

Thank you for supporting Sala Monkey Primary School and helping us to educate the children of Kep, Cambodia!