The Little Library
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The Little Library is a place for Cambodian village children to come at their own convenience to have access to a free library of children’s books, art supplies and other educational materials.
Our library is a safe, quiet place for learning and creating.
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The Little Library is for the children a small village called Pum Prey in rural Svay Rieng province in eastern Cambodia. Their families are subsistence farmers who survive on a once yearly rice harvest and small fishing industry.
Some children study at the nearby public school where they learn Khmer (Cambodian) literacy. However, many are unable to continue their studies after sixth grade.
The teachers and resources available at the public schools are so poor, most families feel their children should stop studying and instead, assist with the family farm. Many teenage girls are taken out of school and sent to work in the nearby garment factories and Vietnamese casinos.
The teachers and resources available at the public schools are so poor, most families feel their children should stop studying and instead, assist with the family farm. Many teenage girls are taken out of school and sent to work in the nearby garment factories and Vietnamese casinos.
Children have little or no access to children's literature and other learning materials outside of their rented textbook. Children are only introduced to the English language at around 15 years old and most high school graduates leave school with a very rudimentary ability to speak and read.
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English language literacy means the difference between a life of subsistence farming and opportunities to rise out of poverty. Tourism and foreign investment are growing rapidly in Cambodia and the job growth in these areas is very promising for young bilingual Cambodians. With a head-start in English language literacy and an introduction to creative thinking through the arts, our students futures are full of opportunity.
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Our free library is the first free
learning resource in the area.
learning resource in the area.
Svay Rieng province is the eastern-most area along Cambodia's border with Vietnam.
It is among the poorest areas in Cambodia.
This area was devastated by spillover from the Vietnam War and the Khmer Rouge genocide in the 1970s. Poor soil quality and lack of irrigation continue to limit prosperity in the village.
