Popel School
Located 10 minutes from the main village on Phnom Kulen, Popel School is our largest primary school.
Up until 2014, Popel School sat largely abandoned due to the lack of resources and funding. Kulen Outreach reopened Popel School in July 2014 and now 170 children are receiving a proper and fair education.
The annual number of students leaving Popel School for our Siem Reap Campus has grown over the years as families in the surrounding area have witnessed an increase in graduates and a chance to continue their studies at our Siem Reap Campus. The student population is now 170 students and is expected to increase in the upcoming years.
Just over a year after reopening Popel School, a first group of students is ready to continue their education at the secondary level in urban Siem Reap. They leave their Phnom Kulen community and become the first residents of our Siem Reap Campus.
The enrollment increases with 25% resulting in 30 new students for the new school year. Popel School now provides primary education to 150 children from the Phnom Kulen community.
Four volunteers spend 2 weeks at the school, helping teach English and work on various school development projects including the upgrade of the school building and garden.
The school building is repainted and the garden is cleared and replanted. This is important since the garden is used to grow food for the children’s breakfast. Coming from underprivileged communities, most of the children arrive at school after walking many kilometers without a proper meal.
With the school's enrollment increasing, there is a need for additional basic hygiene infrastructure. Therefore a well is drilled, is pump is installed and water holding tanks are provided.
To provide the community and the school with sustainable energy, solar panels are provided. This enables the installation of new computers including internet connectivity.
In just 4 months Popel School is prepared for the new school year. The building is refurbished and teacher supplies and school uniforms are delivered. Popel School is reopened in October, starting the new school year with 120 students and 5 teachers.
Cofounder Gordon Elliot visits Phnom Kulen and witnesses children without adequate schooling and limited opportunities for the people living in these remote communities. He decides to reach out and provide the Phnom Kulen children with the education they deserve.
Popel School's enrollment has steadily increased since its opening in 2014, as more and more families within the community send their children to our school. Providing these children with basic education as a first step in developing a sustainable future, Popel School plays a fundamental role in Kulen Outreach's success.
