Neat rows of colorful sandals, flipflops, and Croc-style footwear adorn the entrances to every classroom at Wat Samroang Primary School in the rural Dambae district of Cambodia’s Tboung Khmum province.
The footwear left outside the classrooms, to preserve cleanliness inside, demonstrated the pride and respect the young children have for their new school buildings renovated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
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Cambodia Minister of Cults and Religion Chay Borin cuts the ribbon celebrating completion of six primary school renovations in Dambae district.© 2025 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.In an official “handover” ceremony on June 7, 2025, top government, health and education leaders met with leaders of the Church to celebrate completion of a large humanitarian project in Cambodia. Over the last year, six primary schools in the Dambae district were renovated or improved, along with a maternity ward in a health center. In addition, important medical equipment was donated to two hospitals serving the Tboung Khmum province (see related story).
His Excellency Dr. Chay Borin, minister of Cults and Religion in Cambodia, presided at the handover. Asia Area President Benjamin M.Z. Tai represented the Church. More than a dozen other key government and Church leaders attended, along with about 900 citizens from the province, shaded from the hot sun under large, colorful tents.
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Minister Borin and Elder Tai shake hands at the end of the “handover” ceremony.© 2025 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.
But the real focus of the event was the hundreds of children, dressed neatly in blue or black and white uniforms, watching and listening attentively from their new classrooms, with some in the audience. Their principals and teachers expressed immense gratitude for the humanitarian work of the church that provided new, clean, safe schools where the focus can be on learning.
Srorn Kimhorn, principal of Wat Samroang Primary School, where the handover event was held, said his village is “very happy and excited” to have a new school. “It’s something we could never even dream about. But now we have it. All our teachers and parents and students are very thankful for the Association of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The renovation is very high quality. Our children clean the school every day to show they care about it.”
Minister Borin said it was a “profound honor and privilege” to celebrate completion of the education and health projects in the Tboung Khmum province. He thanked Elder Tai for the Church’s contribution to the “social development of Cambodia”, noting many other humanitarian projects completed by the Church in various parts of the country.
“I am optimistic that these projects will provide better opportunities and learning environment for the education of our children and students,” said Minister Borin. “This will contribute to building quality intellectual capital, excellence, ethics, and professional ability.”
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Elder Benjamin M.Z. Tai, president of the Asia Area of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saint, speaks at the “handover” of school and medical h© 2025 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.In a brief speech, Elder Tai expressed appreciation to Minister Borin for working closely with the Church on the projects. “We have been commanded to love God and love our fellow humans,” he said. “Our donations of buildings and medical equipment represent the love and sacrifice of our members all across the world.” Most church members will never see these projects with their own eyes, he said, “but they donate generously from their hearts to you.”
Elder Tai stressed the importance of education in improving the lives of the Cambodian people. “In our faith, we have a scripture that says ‘the glory of God is intelligence’ and we believe that obtaining an education helps us to achieve our full potential as individuals and better prepares us to help our families and communities.”
Minister Borin asked local authorities, teachers, doctors, and health workers to use the donated facilities and equipment “with love and responsibility, taking good care of them, in keeping with the love of Jesus Christ and the dedication of the Association of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, who donated significant resources to build these facilities.”
He concluded, “May Jesus Christ bless President Benjamin M. Z. Tai, of the Asia Area of the Church, and the leaders and members of the Association of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with happiness and prosperity.”
The process of supporting the needs of the province, home to nearly 950,000 people, began in January 2024 when Elder Dale G. Renlund of the Church’s Quorum of the Twelve visited Cambodia. He met with Prime Minister Hun Manet and they discussed education and healthcare needs in the country. In that meeting, Elder Renlund promised to build a heart center in Siem Reap, a project now underway.
They identified critical needs in the Tboung Khmum province, located in eastern Cambodia adjacent to the Vietnam border.
Also in the meeting was Minister Borin. He was invited to work with Cambodia Church leaders to provide support to the province, particularly the Dambae district, which has a population of just over 92,000 people in about 22,000 families.
Samnang Sea, a stake president in Cambodia and leader and member support coordinator for the country, along with other humanitarian leaders and missionaries, worked with Minister Borin and provincial and district leaders to identify projects that would provide the greatest benefit to the children and citizens of the province.
Sinoeun Tharon, another school principal, said, “Our old school was ready to fall down. It had termites from the bottom to the top. Our new school is very safe and it is cooler. Our students can now study in a healthy environment. We are really happy. Now our children want to come to school and learn. The children are very proud. They take good care of it.”
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The schools do not have air conditioning, but the contractor installed an innovative passive air flow system that allows an inexpensive fan to keep cool air circulating in the buildings. The concrete floors of some of the schools were raised to prevent flooding during the rainy season.
Other upgrades included renovation of latrines and wash stations, constructing incinerators for burning trash, providing library bookcases, and installation of a water tower and tanks.
New student desks and chairs, with the name of the Church imprinted on them, were donated to all six schools, which serve grades K-6. The projects are benefiting 1,784 students and 66 staff members.
Vandy Ye, vice governor of the Dambae district, said, “The new schools mean so much to our community and the children. One old building had a broken roof that leaked. It’s hard to learn in such a bad environment. It’s very hard for us to raise funds to improve schools, so the help of the Church has been wonderful. We are so happy with the quality of the work.”
After the speeches, the Church and government leaders entered each classroom and distributed books and pencils to each child.
Besides the Wat Samroang Primary School, improvements were made to Sampor Primary School, Veal Anderk Primary School, Hun Sen Sangkum Primary School, Hun Sen Punleak Primary School and Hun Sen Chong Cheach Primary School.
Construction was overseen by Elder Barry and Sister Marvel Oates, senior humanitarian missionaries serving in Cambodia. They drove several hours every few weeks to monitor construction. They will continue to visit the schools to support them and encourage cleanliness and proper use of the new facilities.