Kep Gardens Association
WHAT IS KEP GARDENS?
Kep Gardens is a training centre incorporating an English school and library, a hospitality school and a trade school. The aim of this project is to teach various skills free of charge to assist rural Cambodian youth to gain employment. We believe education and employment are essential to help people break the cycle of poverty. Please read our website for a detailed outline of projects established so far and plans for the future. We are situated in a rural village about 10 kms from Kep on the south coast of Cambodia, 164 kms south of the capital, Phnom Penh.
WHY DO WE WANT TO DO IT?
The vision of Kep Gardens was born in December, 2006 after a holiday in Cambodia and has grown from there. We were impressed by the overwhelming friendliness and determination of the people despite their long and violent history that resulted in their poor socio and economic conditions, particularly in the rural communities. We had been seeking avenues to contribute in a valuable and meaningful way to society in the later years of our life that could be achievable with limited monetary resources. What started out as a holiday has turned into a dream to help make a better life for a small, Cambodian, rural community.
HOW IS AND HOW WILL THE PROJECT BE FUNDED?
So far the project has been self funded but our objective is to ensure that the project is sustainable in the long term. To this end we run lunch, dinner and sunset cruises on our vessel MV Kep Gardens around Kep harbour, the surrounding islands and the Kampot estuary to generate income now and into the future. Our bungalows and restaurant will also provide funds as will our chicken farm and farm produce projects.
HOW CAN YOU HELP?
Although we are confident that our plans for sustainability will be successful, it will take a considerable time to reach our goal. Whilst a little money goes a long way in Cambodia, our monthly expenses and capital expenditure are significant. We welcome you to join our project and any donations would be greatly appreciated. Volunteer teachers will also be required in the future. Look at our “Fundraising Focus” page to see where donations are currently being channelled. Our newsletters and website will keep you informed of the project’s progress. The total value of all donations will be used exclusively for the project. We do not use employ consultants or pay commissions of any kind. Kep Gardens is not affiliated with any religious or political organization.
WE INVITE YOU to delve further into the website (KepGardens.com) to read the various project pages, find out what our latest fundraising focus will achieve, learn about our community involvement, view short videos and peruse the monthly newsletters detailing our experiences in this country of extremes.
ENGLISH SCHOOL
Our English school has been running for 4 years. We run 4 classes every day from Monday to Friday: 1 elementary class, 1 beginner class, 1 intermediate class and 1 upper class. 110 students were enrolled this year and we have a substantial waiting list. In 2012 we will build a two classroom school house which will enable us to cater for more students. We run a small library during class times and in 2012 will build a community library/activity centre providing access for the whole community.
HOSPITALITY SCHOOL
In 2009/10 we sponsored 4 students to the 5 star Paul duBrule Hospitality and Tourism School in Siem Reap. They undertook a 12 month intensive training course each studying different areas. We are very proud of our graduates who are providing training seminars to local guesthouses and restaurants and working with our cruise boat project. Eventually, the graduates will form the basis of the practical training staff in our hospitality school. Bungalows, a restaurant and student quarters will be built during 2011 to form the training ground for our hospitality students.
MECHANICAL AND CIVIL ENGINEERING TRADE SCHOOL
Much informal training is being conducted as we build staff quarters, chicken coops, sheds, drainage and water storage facilities. This will continue as we build the school house, library and bungalows. We look forward to the commencement of formal training in the latter part of 2013 but the timing is dependent on funding. Meanwhile, to continue the informal training, we offer a maintenance service to businesses in the Kep/Kampot area.
