Home - HOPE SCHOOL

September 2026

Rainy Season

With the rainy season here, Old Hope Sschool has been badly flooded again. For students’ safety, all classes are suspended and students are to remain at home until further notice.

A New Learning Centre

We are delighted to celebrate the opening of a new learning centre in Sihanouk village. This centre gives children in the community a safe and welcoming place to learn, develop their skills, and grow in confidence. It will provide new opportunities for education and help children build a brighter future for themselves and their village.

Meals for Sen Chay Government School

“An apple a day keeps the doctor away,” but a nourishing meal each week helps keep hunger away for students at Sen Chay Government School. Through Allan’s generous donation, students at Sen Chay School and two other government schools were able to enjoy a decent and fulfilling meal. For many of these children, this regular meal is an important source of nourishment. The meal may be simple, but its impact is significant. We are deeply grateful to Allan and his generosity is making a meaningful difference in the health and education of children in these communities.

Meals for Hope Schools

Thanks to Allan’s continued donations, nutritious meals can be provided to students at all Hope Schools. Although these meals are simple and not a luxury, they are filling and provide the nourishment children need to stay healthy. Allan’s generosity makes a meaningful difference in the lives of many students and supports their education and well-being.

Activities at Hope Schools

Our teachers are regularly supported through Foo Yong Kwong’s monthly contributions. This generous support helps us support part of our teachers monthly salary. Despite their salary not matching those offered in the education sector, the teachers make many personal sacrifices to educate, encourage, and guide the children in our schools. We express our heartfelt gratitude to Foo Yong Kwong for this faithful support.

August 2026

Rice Project for Hope Schools

Every bit of support for the children in Siem Reap is deeply appreciated. Special thanks to Allan for generously providing a bag of rice to each of the 320 students of Hope Schools

Classes at Hope Schools

Thanks to the teachers from the various Hope Schools for generously giving their time to support the children in Siem Reap and help them improve their language skills.

Fun At New HS

Teacher Sophea has always been innovative in managing New Hope School. At times, she plans games instead of conducting a regular lesson, making learning enjoyable and encouraging students to look forward to coming to school.

Published on: July 15, 2016

2016 July Updates

In a twinkling of our eyes, 3 years has gone by and we are celebrating the 3rd anniversary of Hope School!! It was with great joy that Prescillia and I had the privileged to be celebrating with the students of Hope School (unfortunately Allan was not able to join us). We thanked God for giving us this opportunity to be bless with the joy that Hope School had given us.

As we start at a slow pace in rebuilding Hope School at the new premise, we believe that it will eventually be a blessing to the surrounding kids in this new area. Do continue to pray along with us and support us in what we are doing.
Celebrating the 3rd anniversary was simply very down to earth, playing simple games (those that we played in the 60s and 70s, if you are as old as me). Seeing them playing such games brings back memories that I had connect with.

We hope to see Hope School with a new concrete building in a year or 2 so that we could continue to provide an avenue for these youngsters to be better equip for their future lives. Come, visit us to see how the school is operating if you are planning a trip to Siem Reap.
Cheers to all supporters and donors for the past 3 years and may the Lord bless your contributions!!!

Published on: June 21, 2016

2016 June Updates!

Inclusiveness is a value of Hope School. Hope School openly share the rented premise with the neighbouring Government school whereby the government school teacher uses its places to conduct remedial classes for their students. Not only do we share the space but we also let these students enjoy the free refreshment that we provide.

A Government School teacher conducting remedial class.

Students enjoying the free refreshment that we provide

With these classes conducted, we hope that it will indeed bring HOPE to these students as education will always be a means of improving ones livelihood

Mr Arun, our local director assist in conducting clas too!!!

As for the new school, things are beginning to shape up with more students coming for the English classes.

Teacher Dy conducting a class

Teacher Thon and Teacher Dy not only teach but also serve! Serving the students with simple refreshment

Not only young kids came for the classes, but we also have some young adult who came for our English class as they know that with the capability of able to speak English, it will surely help in getting a better job.

Hope School is also a place for wholesome activities whereby the students had a fun time playing volleyball in the rain

Published on: May 20, 2016

2016 May Updates!

The month of May had been another new milestone for Hope School as we began to actively consider employing another full time teacher to run class concurrently at both the new and old school. It had been very tedious for Teacher Thon to travel to both the new and old Hope School, guiding potential Teacher Dy.

Teacher Thon at the new Hope School

It was a challenge as we had limited finance but we do believe in miracles and God will provide the required money to support the new teacher. So we welcome Teacher Dy to Hope School!

Teacher Dy with the students.

Teacher Dy not only teaches the students English but is a friend to the younger kids.

We want to thank God for providing us with a big land that we have enough space for a volley ball court. This court provide avenue for wholesome activities. The students were having so much fun playing volley ball. They do not need any Indoor Stadium or fanciful court, just a piece of land.

Students at the new school were having much fun playing volley ball.

Cheeky Students with local Director Mr Phearun

Mr Phearun enjoying the game with students

Teacher Dy having a volleyball game with students

Published on: May 9, 2016

2016 April Updates: A Short Visit!

At the end of April, two core team members from Singapore made a short trip down to Siem Reap. The main objectives of the trip were to facilitate the registration of Hope School with the government, and to bring down previous remaining clothes and books.

The total weight of the clothes and books were close to 70kg! Most of these were packed into the boxes.

Meet the 2 core team members - Charlyn (left) and Sebastian (right). They were departing from Singapore to Siem Reap.

This was the full amount of baggage from Singapore!

They arrived safely in Siem Reap. Photo was taken at the Siem Reap International Airport.

In addition to the clothes and books, Sebastian also brought a special gift to the Hope School team - 2 small solar panels and a solar lamp. These were sponsored by the other core team from Singapore - Allan Tan.

These books were from the previous donations but due to the baggage limits then, the team was not able to bring more over. So this time round, Charlyn and Sebastian were able to bring some of the remaining over. All these books would be added to Hope School's library.

During this trip, the Singapore core team and Hope School's team were able to meet up with Reverend Sophy and wife. Reverend Sophy and his wife operate an English school near Tonle Sap lake with a staff strength of 6 people. They were able to make it a sustainable project with additional projects such as a chicken bank. Reverend Sophy was able to provide advice and guidance to the Hope School team on the procedures and information to prepare for the registration of the school. The night finally ended with a good dinner and new friendships formed!

The Hope School team, Reverend Sophy and his wife, and the Singapore core team.

The next day was a long day of putting in place important pieces for the eventual outcome of the school's registration. Sebastian and Phearun opened bank accounts for Hope School. The team went to the permanent Hope School site to see the new classes. When the team arrived at Hope School, there was a new addition placed there. The Hope School staff team managed to purchase a water tank!

The water tank has not been installed as the permit from the local government had not been granted yet. It might take some time but the team was confident that this would be done in the months to come.

A class was underway. The students were learning about the different animals and their spelling. The talented teacher Thon conducted a charades game with the students. Look at them having so much fun!

The students had a short break as the teachers prepared the refreshments. It was photo time!

The students really enjoyed their simple yet filling refreshments. See the smiles on their faces!

The students also had a special treat: they received clothes donated from Singapore in 2015! They were so excited about it!

Unfortunately most of the clothes that were brought over this time were meant for men. Thankfully there were a few smaller sized clothes that the children could fit in.

It was during this trip that a community need was surfaced. There was a very young boy in the class who was too young to be in the class. It was revealed that his parents had requested for him to be enrolled into the same class with his older sibling as his parents needed to work and there was no available childminder for him. The boy enjoyed himself during the class and was given special care by the staffs and the students. Through this short encounter, we know that the village and community recognized the special role that Hope School plays and view it as a safe environment for the children and teenagers to be in. It showed the amount of trust and acceptance that the villagers held about them.

Although it was a short trip, many plans were made and clarified for the rest of the year until June 2017! We cannot wait for the next few months to come, especially the upcoming 3rd year anniversary celebration in July!

Published on: April 10, 2016

2016 March Updates - Meeting with the Governor!

Hope School staffs and volunteers had the immense privilege to be invited for a special meeting and dinner with Siem Reap governor! They were able to meet some of the important government officials such as the district officer, Siem Reap's Education Department Officer and the Religious Department Officer among others.

There is great desire and willingness for Hope Schools to be registered with the Education Department and to enroll more students who will benefit from the English lessons! Looking forward to the good news from them!

Published on: April 10, 2016

2016 March Updates - Happenings at Hope School

Hope School received a visitor this month! The visitor is from BBLC (Boys' Brigade Learning Centre) in Siem Reap. (Their Facebook link is here.)

The visitor brought stationery supplies for the students and dictionaries for them to use too! The students are so excited and glad to receive these supplies! What a joy to see the communities in Siem Reap helping and blessing one another in such tangible ways!

The students were also able to enjoy simple tasty refreshments this month too. This may seem like a small effort but the refreshments help to ensure that when the students are present for lessons, they don't have to attend it with empty stomachs.

The students enjoy their lessons and the fun activities conducted by the teachers!

Hope School's safe premises also ensure that the students are able to play games freely too!

Thank you all for your great support to Hope School and the students!

Published on: April 10, 2016

2016 March Updates - The simple joys of break time

What do students do during their break time? With Hope School's ample space, the students are able to utilize their creativity for fun! Meet the creative team!

The team members may look young, but don't underestimate their creativity and resourcefulness! These children are able to create beautiful little structures with the ingredients of sand, visualization and teamwork! Look at them hard at work!

In order to create something spectacular, much planning, effort and teamwork need to be beautifully merged together. Look at how focused they are!

At the end of the day, they were able to create tiny caves and fortresses with just a pile of sand! Who says that sandcastles need to be build at the beach?

Great work, guys! Keep it up!

Published on: March 9, 2016

2016 February Updates - Abundance of favour!

It is so exciting whenever there are new updates on Hope School! Classes are being added at the permanent site of Hope School.

Teacher Thon has moved to teach 2 classes at the school site with a mixture of existing and new students.

The rest of the classes are headed by the young Teacher Dy. The new school is certainly establishing itself in the new village as a school offering free English classes to children and youths.

It is always a joy to see the students putting in so much concentration and effort into learning English!

The students really enjoy the new school site! They were so engrossed in the books from the library. Look at them reading the books! Such great concentration!

The students also enjoy the monthly refreshments. Look at their delighted faces!

The new site also has a space for volleyball and for the students to hang out after classes. They love it! By the way, they really love volleyball! It is like the unofficial national sport.

The teachers and volunteers are also growing fruit trees in the backyard. Just like the growing trees, the fruits of investing education into the students can only be seen in the future. What a great metaphor and analogy!

Another good news is the addition of a volunteer teacher conducting conversational classes for the older students. This happens every Saturday or Sunday at 5.30pm to 7pm. The new volunteer teacher is residing in the village and is a tour guide who is able to converse fluently in English and French. He is someone who is so passionate to teach the next generation so that some of them can be a tour guide like him. What a great blessing!

Computer classes will be starting soon as more laptop donations come in. Computer literacy adds another skill for them to have a better future and career. So do keep the donations coming in still! The students will benefit greatly!

This new school is certainly becoming a hub for education, a safe environment for them to play games and a place to nurture and inspire dreams! Great job to all the staffs and volunteers of Hope School!

Published on: February 7, 2016

2016 February Updates - A tribute to Teacher Thon

"Better than a thousand days of diligent study is one day with a great teacher."
- A Japanese Proverb

"Better than a thousand days of diligent study is one day with a great teacher." - A Japanese Proverb

A shout out to Hope School's teacher, principal, janitor, cook and mentor! Teacher Rith Thon has been present in the beginning, from the construction of Hope School from scratch to working in Hope School since day 1! He was one of those who installed the wooden tables and chairs in Hope School, and he has been teaching tirelessly since then!

Teacher Thon is not just a teacher to the students, but a friend and mentor to them too. It is apparent to all volunteers who were present in the volunteering trips that the students love him and respect him wholly. He has a special gift of teaching that engages the students of all kinds of learning styles, and to give attention to the slower learners.

Teacher Thon has been the main teacher of Hope School for the longest time. His lessons are from morning 8am to evening 8pm, with a break of about 2-3 hours for lunch. That is his only time for a break before back-to-back lessons all the way. He teaches from Mondays to Fridays at Hope School, and even goes to the village extension schools with teacher Phearun Neang over the weekends for a few hours of class. He prepares all the different lesson plans for the different classes, and single-handedly does all the assessment and examination papers too. Many times, he has fallen very ill due to the lack of rest, but he will still be wanting to teach the students. His motivation comes from the students' passion for learning English for a better future. Truly, without Teacher Thon, there would be no Hope School at all!

Thank you Teacher Thon for your inspiring passion for education and the next generation of Cambodia, your tireless dedication and commitment to the students and your hopeful desire and contribution in developing your beloved country! We want to honour you for your life's work with the students at Hope School! Words are not enough, but we thank you for everything that you have done, are doing and will be doing! God bless you!

Published on: January 28, 2016

2016 January Updates - A New Chapter for Hope School!

We have a great announcement to share with everyone! As of January 2016, lessons have started in Hope School's permanent site! Yay!

The staffs have gotten a new fence and banners to announce the presence of Hope School in this new compound. The new fence will help to ensure safety for the students and the teacher.

And speaking about teachers, we will like to formally introduce teacher Dy, who is now Hope School's newest addition! He is now part-time teacher and was formerly a student of Hope School. He completed his high school education and had a passionate dream of becoming a teacher. For now, he is being trained by Hope School's staffs and mentors to become the next full time teacher, like teacher Thon!

Teacher Dy is in charge of all the classes taught at Hope School permanent site, while Teacher Thon is still continuing the classes at Hope School. There are plans to slowly bring Teacher Thon and his classes over to the new site in the next few months. At least for now, Teacher Dy is the only teacher at the new site.

Introducing teacher Dy!

Currently there are 3 classes started with students from the new village. The classes timetables are:
- 4:00pm-5:00pm
- 5:00pm-6:00pm
- 6:00pm-7:00pm

More classes will be added from next month onwards. The classes are:
- 8:00am-10:00am
- 2:00pm-4:00pm

All the students in Teacher Dy's classes are from the new village that Hope School permanent site is located in. Say hello to the new faces!

The class shown above are from the 4-5pm classes. Look at how dedicated and eager they are at learning! Teacher Dy also looked very happy to teach them!

Most of the students travel to Hope School permanent site by cycling. Some who stay nearer to Hope School walk there.

It gets really dark at night, but classes are still ongoing. Electricity is in place to ensure that the the students are able to read and write at night.

On top of teaching, Teacher Dy also helps to care for the land. Many different seeds have been planted to ensure that there will be plentiful of fruits for the staffs and students. One of the vision of Hope School is to be a place of learning for generations of children and youth for a better future. And just likes the young plants growing, it is a symbol for the investment of education to the children and youths of Cambodia, for them to grow with the "nutrients" - education and opportunities - to become strong and be a blessing to their country. What a prophetic act and reminder of the plants!

In a new place, new items need to be added to ensure the running of the school. A new water filter was purchased to ensure that the students have a constant and clean source of water. A water hose for the watering of plants was also purchased. And another important aspect of Hope School is the stone table and chairs. It is a meeting and fellowship point for the students to meet up, catch up and have fun.

The students and Teacher Dy were also able to enjoy the monthly refreshments! The students had bread and a drink at the end of the lessons. Look at all their happy faces!

One main feature of Hope School that was gone for a few years is the volleyball court. Volleyball is one of the favourite past times in Cambodia, and finally the students have a safe place to play that after their lessons!

Congratulations to Hope School for this new chapter and continue the good transforming work in Siem Reap, Cambodia!

With this good news of lessons starting in Hope School's permanent site, we like to seek donations for laptops that are in good working conditions.

The staffs have shared with us that there is a huge demand for computer literacy and classes in Siem Reap, as such classes are currently only offered in the main town and have a monthly school fee of at least US$80. This is out of reach for most of the students, who are either elementary or high school students. Even though they are working, their income is not enough to ensure that they are able to afford such lessons after paying for their essentials.

In view of this, we hope to start computer literacy lessons soon for the students. Hence, if you have an unused laptop that is still working well, please contact us through the Facebook page. Thank you to all Hope School supporters for your continued support, and for your generosity too!