A new S-wash-E, School Wash Education project was recently completed in Cambodia!

Mr Sun La is the school principal of Ang Chum primary school located in Takeo province.

This school has 17 teachers and 612 students, so the project was vitally important, especially during the COVID-19 crisis.

Mr Sambath is a Metamorphic church planter and he reached out to the school principal and the 17 teachers. Mr Sambath was able to share the gospel on multiple levels and this led to a partnership between the church, the school and the community.

Mr Sambath was a part of the Metamorphic church planting program in 2020 and upon completion, he went to plant a house church in his village. The lessons he learnt on community development and creating businesses to break the poverty cycle have been instrumental in Mr Sambath’s success. As a result of this newfound approach to church and community, Mr Sambath works closely with the village leader and has built a strong relationship with the school principal and teachers.

Through these relationships, Mr. Sambath was able to initiate the S-wash-E project at Ang Chum primary school. The community raised funds to cover the cost of the well so that the school would have a water source to help run the latrines that Metamorphic provided. A water filter was also installed in every classroom and now 612 students, 17 teachers and a school principal all have access to latrines and clean drinking water for the very first time. Previously the students and faculty used a neighbouring field as a toilet – which was unsafe for the children, unhygienic for everyone involved and not environmentally friendly. Now with this newly created partnership between the church, the community and the school, the problem is solved, and everyone involved is excited about the result and the change it is bringing to so many lives.

Now Mr Sambath is teaching the Metamorphic curriculum on hygiene and sanitation to the students. This has resulted in students continually washing their hands, using the latrines instead of the field and now the students are also teaching their families. The health outcomes are impactful, and the self-esteem of the village has risen.

This story is full of amazing people who committed to working together for the betterment of others. Mr Sambath the church planter project managed the exercise, Mr Sun La the principal was willing to change and facilitate the project, the community got behind the project and invested their own funds and now the children are ambassadors for clean water and sanitation to the next generation.

They are all a part of the transformation of Ang Chum Village.