The Bakot site had a team of 20 Adult leaders in training from 9 countires, and the school, with the name 'Happy Gecko' chosen by them, was constructed in 12 days except for some finishing by the local builders. They learned how to lay bricks, mix cement, render, paint .. no task was too daunting for them, whatever there was to do they pitched in and toiled with the builders in the hot sun.

The student group of 22 have constructed a classroom of the same design at the Prokeab Village site that they have named 'Brighter Beginnings', the perimeter schoolground fencing and a gate. It is amazing to see a group of young people working so hard to provide educational opportunities for those less fortunate.

Between the 2 groups they raised over $12,000 dollars to supply bicycles, 8 chicken businesses, a bicycle repair business, dental and school supplies to the families in both districts. Some of these supplies were distributed between ceremonies held at each school. All had great fun completing assembly of bicycles and handing them over to the chosen children who will no longer need to walk the long distances to school.

WATCH THE VIDEO as the students leave their completed School ('Brighter Beginnings) in Prokeab village, Takeo province, Cambodia, built under the direction of Team Leaders David MacLellan and Sonia Christian.

The School will begin classes February 2011, teaching English and basic sanitation classes. In the photo/link to the video, teachers Socheat Chea and Phearom Noun are seen with area children waving goodbye to the Round Square student team.

ANOTHER building of fencing and a gate at the Prokeab school-building location!

24 students from around the world will arrive in Cambodia in early December and along with building the one-room cement school there, they'll be fencing in the huge Banyan Learning Tree Centre site and giving it
a brand new secure gate.

They'll be working hard to complete these projects along with the local labor and ourselves, but they'll be able to cool off with fresh, clean water at the new well JUST installed onsite.

Banyan Learning Tree School Rebuilding Project Begins CONTINUES

Lisa and Pauline have arrived safely in Cambodia and already are starting to put the funds raised by Patti Lee, Barbara Seagram and their Bridge Group from Toronto, Canada to use!

UPDATE: January 9, 2012 UPDATED PHOTOS The roofing on the Banyan Learning Tree School in Phnom Penh has begun! This Canadian Landmine Foundation Project funded by Patti Lee, Barbara Seagram and their Bridge Group in Toronto is conducted by A Mine Free World Foundation. Thanks to all for their support.

Located on the outskirts of Phnom Penh, this small free education school was crowded and structurally unsound. Now thanks to the efforts and donations from all the kind-hearted bridge players in Southern Ontario, Banyan Learning Tree will have a new two-storey cement school.

Groundbreaking occured October 10th, 2011 after a brief Buddhist ceremonial blessing.

The Banyan Learning Tree School provides free English literacy education for children and conducts outreach projects for landmine-affected families. This Canadian Landmine Foundation Project is conducted by A Mine Free World Foundation (www.aminefreeworld.org).

NOTE: The construction was completed on two more Banyan Learning Tree school buildings and Library buildings in Takeo villages here in Cambodia. These are funded and built by 2 teams from Roundsquare.org., the Bridge Group from Toronto and other generous donors.

VIDEOS:
This year's heavy monsoon rains have left many areas in Cambodia flooded. Lisa McCoy and Pauline Johns took this video while enroute from Phnom Penh to Battambang, going through Kampong Chhnang by car. Many rural people have been left homeless and a large portion of the country's rice fields have been damaged.

• October Floods 2011- On the way to Battambang
  
• October Floods 2 - Being redirected due to more flooding
  
• October Floods 3 - Now in Kampong, VERY severly flooded

MORE homes to be built with the help from the Canadian Landmine Foundation

With these funds we will be able to provide new dry homes for 7 landmine-affected families in Koas Krala district, and 5 homes in Sang, Dangkor, Phnom Penh.

UPDATES November 6, 2011 Construction is in progress now for three of the seven identified landmine survivors in Koas Krala, Battambang province. There has been some flooding in several villages - at Ki Peng's house, we are waiting for the land to dry up, so we can begin construction there. We also provided neighboring landmine survivor Vun Therm with a few more chickens. Construction is well underway with Keo Phel's house. The posts are in and frame is up, with the new metal roof being nailed down, providing his large family with a new home which will be completed in a week. You can see his old hut in the background. Many Thanks to Sopheany Chhoeun and Leoung Deun of the Cambodian Red Cross for their assistance in this Canadian Landmine Foundation Project. October 27, 2011 The first five of the 12 families who will receive new homes through funding from the CLMF, have been selected. Of the 12 families being provided with a new village home, or extensive repairs to their existing homes, five identified families have now been interviewed, a construction needs assessment done, materials delivered onsite and construction is underway! View our report for details!

Your donation of $425.00 (AMFW Foundation House Building Project Home Cost Breakdown [PDF]) can provide one of the many landmine-affected families on our waiting list with a new home.

Many rural villagers only have grass walls and roofs (View video of a recipients home which has qualified for the CLMF House Rebuilding Project), which have been severely damaged during this year's long monsoon season.

Help us provide them with a strong new home with a metal roof.

Rosedale Fund Raiser

Bridge, coffee and cookies, and some great door prizes were the order of the day.

116 people attended and contributed very generously. Some even brought door prizes as well as money for the school. About 30 other folks, who could not attend, contributed as well. Over $11,500 was raised by this event.

Our thanks to the Rosedale Golf Club, to the contributors, and to all of the attendees who made this event so successful. Special thanks to Enid Roitman, for her unfailing support.

This Canadian Landmine Foundation School Building Project is being conducted by A Mine Free World Foundation. Thanks again to all those who are working so hard to make this school (and its outreach programs for landmine-affected families)
a reality!

AMFW's: Maria, Lisa and Pauline

Thoun is happy to give back by volunteering to teach this class in his village

The AMFW Giant Garage Sale in Muskoka, Ontario, raised more than what was needed for the Latrines and Wells in Bakot and Prokeab villages.

With the extra funds raised, Thoun's father made the school desks, English course books were purchased and all the supplies needed to run this weekly class.

Our AMFW team member in Siem Reap - Socheat Chea is responsible for making this little school a reality.

Thoun's educational needs are sponsored by the Rotary Club of Etobicoke, Ontario. Thoun is happy to give back by volunteering to teach this class in his village.

Plans are underway to make improvements to this little village school.

Well #2 and Latrine Construction Begins is FINISHED in Prokeab, Cambodia

"It took a few trys to get water at Prokeab - but now they have success and will start to put the ring on, on Sunday," says Chamnap.

It might have taken a few trys to get water...but it ONLY took "DAYS" to build the latrine and start completing the finishing touches on well #2 located at the Roundsquare student school-building site!

Prokeab is the site of the new Banyan Learning Tree Centre, a nine-phase project that will include a school, a library/computer centre, a two-building family care centre, and eventually; a second latrine and well.

We'll also need good fencing and a gate at both school sites. Please consider sponsoring part or all of a phase. Proposals available upon request.

Thank you Chamnap and Phearom for completing this project so professionally and so quickly!

Well and Latrine Construction Begins FINISHES in Bakot Village, Cambodia
Funded by AMFW Giant Garage Sale in Gravenhurst, Ontario

Funds raised at the AMFW Giant Garage Sale in Gravenhurst, Ontario are providing these necessary sanitation needs at Bakot, and later this week, a well and latrine will also commence construction at the Banyan Learning Tree Center school building site in Prokeab village.

This December, two large groups of students and adults from the organization RoundSquare will come to these villages to build a school! Then in January 2012, Rotarians and Friends from the Bracebridge and Gravenhurst Clubs in Ontario, will arrive in these same villages to provides 'Rotary Wheels for Learning' Bicycles to many of the needy children there.

Yesterday, many of these curious village children watched in anticipation to see the beginnings of a project that will provide them with a much-loved school and even a library in the future.

Thanks to everyone here in Ontario, who donated and worked so hard to provide these first projects at the Banyan Learning Tree school sites.

UPDATE:
These toilets ARE and the Water Well are ready for action! View photos of the job completion!!!