Passports with Purpose - Help build a school in Cambodia and win great prizes

Here is your chance to win some great travel prizes and contribute to building a school in Cambodia - through the Passports with Purpose contest

Travel Writer Beth Whitman, author of the Wanderlust and Lipstick series of guidebooks, has put together this terrific initiative that raises money for a different nonprofit cause each year. Together with a group of great travel bloggers who have donated some awesome prizes to the contest, Passports with Purpose aims to raise $13,000 to build a school in Cambodia through American Assistance for Cambodia (AAfC) an independent, nonprofit organization dedicated to improving opportunities for the youth and rural poor in Cambodia.

Travelbloggers everywhere are hosting giveaways in support of this fundraising effort. See the full list of prizes and get more details directly from the participating bloggers here. Help support this great cause - and good luck in winning some of the awesome prizes

Rural School Project

Overview

In rural Cambodia, hundreds of villages still lack a functional primary and secondary school. AAfC’s Rural Schools Project, founded in 1999, has led the effort to construct over 300 primary and lower secondary schools – with matching funds from the World Bank and Asian Development Bank – to help promote education in rural Cambodia. After construction, each school is sponsored by a donor to provide value-add improvements to further strengthen student education, such as English/computer teachers, Internet, and access to clean water.

How You Can Build a School (and crack the digital divide)

The construction cost of a rural school is $13,000. For each donation, $10,000 is used directly towards the construction of the school (matched by the Asian Development Bank for a total cost of $30,000 or above). The other $3,000 is used by AAfC for a general school account that funds performance monitoring, maintenance, the school opening ceremony and overhead. Each school will be named after the donor (or a name he/she selects) and listed on our Rural Schools Project map. The school is 3-6 classrooms, includes desks, chairs, and a well, and is built on land donated by the village or is added to an existing school site. Once a school is completed, it is given to the village. All AAfC schools are recognized by the Cambodian government as state schools, and are staffed by official state teachers who follow the Ministry of Education curriculum.

Education, Internet and Health
Donors are encouraged to add school features in three areas: Education, Internet and Health. Donors may also contribute just $13,000 to build a school with no further involvement or obligation.

Education: Our project seeks to supplement government curriculum by providing students with additional resources and learning opportunities. All new donors are strongly recommended to add the Education improvements to their school.

School improvements:
• Full-time AAfC trained English/computer teacher: $2,160/year
• Hub master: $3000/year
• Bookcase of books: $150 one-time cost
• 3 solar panels to power a donated computer: $1,850 one-time cost
• Total: $6,000 funds two years, $400-2,000 each additional year

Internet: Our project seeks to leapfrog rural Cambodian students by giving them access to computers and the Internet. We have also adopted a package of software to allow students to access the Internet in the Khmer language, using a Khmer keyboard, word-processing, and web-browsing. Students use these resources to learn typing, Internet search, email, and more.

School improvements: A school can gain access to the Internet through two methods: a satellite or motoman [link to motoman article, NY Times by Jim Breake from IHT]. A satellite dish provides high-speed 24-hour Internet connection. In our unique motoman system, a motorcycle connected to wifi provides a school with once daily Internet access to email, newspapers, and web search. Satellite dishes are subject to limited availability and fluctuating prices. The motoman system is only available for schools within close vicinity to a satellite dish.

• Satellite and generator: $18,000 funds two years, $3,000 each additional year
or
• Motoman connection: $5,500 funds two years, $1,500 each additional year

Health: Many students in rural villages suffer from a lack of health care, unsafe drinking water and lack of nutritious food. Donors may add two water filters to the school to allow access to clean water at the school. A “Victory” vegetable garden in which students receive one free, nutritious meal each day, includes building materials, seeds, one gardener, one cook, and a garden well when needed. Finally, a school nurse recruited from a local clinic promotes health education and gives students regular health check-ups. These features combine reduce student malnutrition, increase attentiveness, and raise attendance.

School improvements:

• Hagar water filter: $300 one-time cost
• 1 “Victory” vegetable garden,: $7,500 funds first two years, $2,000 each additional year
• School nurse: $5400/year

More info go to http://www.cambodiaschools.com/