From 1975 to 1979, Cambodia experienced a genocide that was a systematic persecution and killing of Cambodians by the Khmer Rouge under the leadership of the Kampuchea general secretary Pol Pot, who radically pushed the country towards a self-sufficient agrarian socialist society. About 70 to 90 percent of teachers and 67 percent of all students died in the massacre. After the fall of the Khmer Rouge regime, every aspect of society had to be rebuilt, especially education.

While significant efforts have been made to improve the scholastic system, Cambodia’s poor population is still largely uneducated and over 10 percent of children don’t have access to education. One of the largest barriers to overcome is lack of basic infrastructure. Children often fall behind due to inadequate space for instruction and lack of hygiene facilities, which affects adolescent girls and children with disabilities in particular.

This summer, HXP Builders will be adding classrooms and bathrooms to a rural school near Battambang. These structures will allow 50 additional children to attend school each year, improve sanitation standards for all students and faculty, and improve the overall quality of education and experience as they attend school.