Rebuilding Hope Through Education
The founder's story, in the words of Sytha Nan.
I was born in 1982 in a small rural community in Ratanakiri Province, Cambodia. Although I was born after the Khmer Rouge regime ended, I grew up surrounded by its painful legacy.
The Khmer Rouge devastated Cambodia's education system. Schools were destroyed, learning came to a halt, and many teachers, doctors, lawyers, engineers, professors, and other educated people lost their lives. The country was left with an enormous shortage of knowledge and opportunity. Even decades later, many rural communities are still living with the consequences.
I grew up in a village where there was no school, no books, and very little hope for children like me.
I still remember watching children spend their days working in the rice fields, collecting food from the forest, or caring for younger brothers and sisters instead of carrying books and learning in a classroom. From an early age, I understood that without education, poverty would continue from one generation to the next.
I was one of the fortunate ones. Through determination, hard work, and the kindness of people who believed in me, I learned English and later became an English-speaking tour guide.
Education changed my life.
It also became the mission of my family.
My wife is a teacher. My sister is a teacher. My sister-in-law is also a teacher. Every day, I see their passion for helping children learn and grow. Together, we share one belief: the best way to help rebuild Cambodia is through education.
We believe that every child deserves the opportunity to learn, regardless of where they are born or how poor their family may be.
Since 2006, I have worked alongside local communities, government authorities, national and international organizations, and generous supporters to build schools and bring education to some of Cambodia's most remote communities, particularly in the indigenous communities of northeastern Cambodia. Over the past twenty years, I have dedicated my life to expanding educational opportunities for children who would otherwise have little or no access to education.
During those years, I witnessed something extraordinary.
When a school is built in a remote village, everything changes.
Children arrive each morning with smiles on their faces. Parents begin to believe in a brighter future. Girls are more likely to stay in school instead of leaving early. Teachers become more motivated. Communities grow stronger because education gives children hope and the confidence to dream beyond poverty.
I met mothers who had never learned to read or write but were determined that their daughters would have a different future. I met children who walked for hours every day because they believed education could change their lives. I saw entire communities donate their land and volunteer their labour because they knew that a school would transform the future of their village.
These experiences changed me forever.
After twenty years working alongside communities, I realized that there were still far too many children waiting for someone to build their first school. I knew I could not wait for someone else to act.
My family and I decided to begin ourselves.
We believed that if we asked others to invest in children's futures, we had to be willing to invest our own first.
Using our own family savings, we began building the first REEC-supported school in the remote Lampat community in Ratanakiri Province.
Lampat is one of many isolated communities where children have been left behind. Families live without reliable roads, electricity, or nearby healthcare. Until recently, many children had no school within walking distance.
Yet these children are no different from children anywhere else.
They are curious.
They are intelligent.
They are full of dreams.
They simply have not been given the same opportunities.
That is why, in 2024, I founded Rural Education Experts Cambodia (REEC).
REEC was founded on one simple but powerful belief:
Every child deserves an equal opportunity to learn, regardless of where they are born, who they are, or how poor their family may be.
Our vision is a Cambodia where every child can access quality education, discover their potential, and build a brighter future.
We work hand in hand with communities to build schools, provide educational resources, train teachers, strengthen local education systems, and create safe, inspiring places where children can learn and thrive.
Because education is about much more than classrooms.
It is about restoring hope.
It is about protecting childhood.
It is about giving girls the opportunity to stay in school and choose their own future.
It is about helping communities break the cycle of poverty.
It is about rebuilding Cambodia through the power of education.
Today, Lampat is only the beginning.
Across Cambodia, we have identified many more remote communities where children are still waiting for their first school. Parents are ready to donate land. Villagers are willing to contribute their labour. Communities are prepared to do their part.
They are simply waiting for partners to stand beside them.
But we cannot do it alone.
Building one school changes one community.
Building many schools can help change a nation.
I invite you to become part of this journey.
Whether you are a donor, volunteer, company, foundation, school, or friend, your support can help build classrooms, provide learning materials, train teachers, and create opportunities for thousands of children who deserve the chance to learn.
The next school has not yet been built.
The next child is still waiting.
Together, we can change that.
Together, we can help rebuild Cambodia — one child, one school, and one community at a time.
Because when we invest in a child's education, we are not only changing one life — we are helping build a stronger, more hopeful future for Cambodia.
