Welcomes children and adults from communities on the flood plains of the Tonlé Sap lake to the Library boat!

Action Education and its partners launched a mobile library on the Tonle Sap Lake in Battambang province last September 2023 to promote literacy and strengthen a reading culture among children and adults. The library houses hundreds of titles and is equipped with internet connection, connected televisions, fans and a water filter. It is open to students from Monday to Saturday, encouraging them to read and providing the opportunity to borrow books for home reading.

Previously, Khum Koh Chivaing Primary School, with over 300 students, had limited resources and only a few books. These books were rotated between classes to allow the students to read.

Mr. Nuon Vuthy, Khum Koh Chivaing Primary School Director.

Mr. Vuthy Nuon, Khum Koh Chivaing Primary School Director, expressed his satisfaction with the establishment of the library, saying, “I am extremely pleased that Action Education has set up a library in the school. The library will encourage children to develop a habit of reading from an early age, and after reading in class, they can continue reading in the library. The library offers unique books that stimulate children’s curiosity and inspire them to read more. As our school is flooded during the rainy season and no playground, it can be dangerous for students to play outside. With this library, they get into the reading habit.”
 

Ms. Chanthou Navy, an 8-year-old third-grader at Khum Koh Chivaing Primary School, smiled and said: “I’m glad that the school has a library because there plenty of books to read and learn from. I particularly enjoy books with pictures. Every day I spend at least half an hour reading books in the library. “

Samphors Vorn, Country Director of Action Education in Cambodia, expressed hope that the library would promote educational and health awareness activities. The connected TVs will be used for storytelling sessions and to provide knowledge related to applied science, technology, engineering and maths. The digital library will also serve as a resource for teachers to research pedagogy and career guidance.

The library boat initiative is part of the Fisher Folk Making Circular Economy Work for the Western Tonle Sap Lake (FOSTER) project funded by the European Union and led by Oxfam. Additionally, it involves the Cambodian Consortium for Out-of-School Children managed by Action Education in collaboration with Education Above All through its Educate A Child initiative. Currently, the school library initiative supports over 10 libraries in the Tonle Sap Lake area including nine mobile libraries (tuk-tuk) and a boat library.