AllKids Prek Trabaek Learning Centre is bringing hope for the future to students their families and the community.

Article by Jenny Neale, 2021-22 District 9510 Governor’s partner

When IPDG Jeff Neale and I started the Rotary District Governor journey nearly four years ago we never dreamed that the result of my Rotary Partner Project would be District 9510 funding a Learning Centre in rural Cambodia. The project was to raise awareness and funds for AllKids a not-for-profit International NGO to establish a Learning Centre in the Ream Commune Prek Trabaek for children who had absolutely no access to education. The Ream commune is a rural, costal and farming area on the South West Coast of Cambodia and is an area of abject poverty.

I first became aware of AllKids when Mr John George a member of the Rotary Club of St Peters presented at the 2021 District 9510 Conference outlining the history and long-term Club association with AllKids. Founded by South Australian Mr Paul Otto in 2012, AllKids aims to ensure that all children in the Ream Commune Cambodia have access to education by reducing the barriers that prevent children from attending school. AllKids is not a replacement for Public School but rather offers additional resources to students including English, mathematics, IT and the arts. Along with education AllKids also provides uniforms, transport, nutritious meals, career workshops, drug, alcohol and domestic violence education, access to dental and medical care and works collaboratively with local businesses to assist parents and graduating students to find employment.

Having already established 2 Learning Centres and a Day Care Centre in the region AllKids identified a third Learning Centre was needed in the Prek Trabaek area where children are unable to be transported to existing schools and Learning Centre’s due to the poor and hazardous road conditions. Having now travelled those roads Jeff and I can confer that the roads are indeed hazardous and best travelled by 4-wheel drive or motorbike.

Established as a RAWCS (Rotary Australia World Community Service Ltd) project by the Rotary Club of St Peters the AllKids Prek Trabaek Learning Centre is bringing hope for the future to students their families and the community. Special thanks must go to the Rotary Clubs of District 9510 who held fundraisers and made contributions to this project raising sufficient funds to see the project completed ahead of time.

The opening of the Prek Trabaek Learning Centre was held on January 6th. Along with Jeff and myself from the Rotary Club of Campbelltown SA, members from the Rotary Club of St Peters, John and Margaret George and David and Rhonda Heilbronn were also in attendance. On arrival the children were all seated, (there are currently 70 primary children attending), we were ushered to our VIP seats and the celebrations began. Speeches were made and Paul Otto AllKids Country Director acknowledged and presented certificates for significant contributions. The children performed a number of dance and singing items a highlight of the morning’s proceedings. This was followed by a tour of the facility and an opportunity to visit classrooms.

Rotary at work. Rotary “Serve to Change Lives”, 2021-22 Rotary International Theme.