Bridge of Life School started with a simple mission — to teach English — and a $250 donation to help make it happen. Since then we have expanded to 3 sites and reach 200+ students via English, computer, and pre-primary courses.
Bridge of Life School was founded by Edward Roohan and Sok Prin in July 2009. Edward had visited Cambodia through a volunteer program and met Sok, who was a teacher. Sok mentioned his desire to start an English school to help his village.
After a lot of discussion and planning, a $250 donation was made to start the school. Land was donated and an old wood building on the property was renovated into a simple classroom for eighty initial students from the village.
In 2011 we expanded into Kompong Thom under the direction of Chea Ing. We built a school and provide English language classes and a computer program. In 2012 we began working in Kompong Khleang. This is our largest site where we offer pre-primary education, computer classes, a sewing program, home construction and other projects based on community needs.
The mission of Bridge of Life School is to provide educational and community-based programming based on community input and need as well as our own organizational capabilities. We do this through a Khmer-led, community-supported approach. Through our programming we are able to build bridges to opportunities previously unavailable, such as meaningful employment in the tourism economy, and solve critical problems that are still unresolved, like clean water in the villages.
A Khmer-led team rooted in the communities where we work.
Our longest-serving, full-time team member. Born to a poor family, Chea left home at eighteen to become a monk, where he stayed for 10 years studying and later teaching English. He was hired in 2011 to open our English language classes in Kompong Thom. Chea is happily married with two children.
A former Bridge of Life English student from the floating villages of Kompong Khleang. After learning English he worked in hospitality and at a large NGO before being hired in 2012 as an English teacher. He now manages all of Bridge of Life's educational programming and also works as a tour guide for Community First.
Born and raised in Kompong Khleang, Narin was a monk where he completed his education. He later worked as a teacher at a primary school at Wat Kompong Khleang. In 2012 he was hired to teach pre-primary education at our school in Kompong Khleang. He is married with two children.
From Tachrorneing Village in Kompong Khleang, Koamnou is the sewing teacher at our site in the floating village. She learned to sew from an NGO in 2006 and previously altered wedding dresses in her family's home. She is grateful to teach sewing skills to other students in her community.
Kimsang comes from Tachrorneing Village in Kompong Khleang. He completed primary and secondary school in the village and studied computers in high school in Damdek. After teacher training he found a job at a primary school and also teaches computer classes at Bridge of Life's Free Computer Lab.
Bridge of Life School believes the welfare of children is of paramount importance. We are committed to protecting all children from any form of harm, abuse, or exploitation. We have had no issues to report to date, and there are a number of safety policies in place including:
Bridge of Life School upholds a "zero tolerance" approach to any forms of abuse, exploitation, or other child protection concerns. Any issues or concerns will be treated with the highest degree of seriousness, reported to the police, and investigated to the fullest extent.