Students at Tatachilla Lutheran College have raised enough funds through self-led charitable endeavours over the past three years to afford the purchase of a block of land in rural Cambodia.

The block – which comprises 1,400m2 of uninhabited bushland in the small village of Tuek Chenh – has since been bought by the Lutheran Church of Cambodia using funds wholly raised by Tatachilla students. The land will soon be the home of a new school for local children in the district, aged three to 14 years of age.

“Tatachilla students are actively encouraged to develop strong hearts of service early on in their schooling and engage in the college’s annual ‘Challenge 4 Charity’ initiative, which sees them set personal challenges and raise funds for communities in need, through sponsorship,” said Tatachilla Lutheran College Head of Middle and Senior Years, Chris McElligott.

“Funds raised are then used to support the college’s partner communities in under-developed regions, such as Tuek Chenh and Krus Villages in Cambodia and the Ampilawatja community in the Northern Territory.

“We are absolutely delighted that as a result of student fundraising, our entire college community can now be involved in the purchase of this land in Cambodia and support the construction of a much-needed school in Tuek Chenh.”

In September this year, 12 of Tatachilla’s Year 11 students flew to Cambodia to assist local village communities in Kampong Chhnang province in a number of hands-on, practical ways, which included helping to clear the newly purchased land of vegetation in readiness for the school build.

“Our students worked alongside Cambodian pastors from the local Lutheran church as well as residents of Tuek Chenh Village to remove bamboo, vines, shrubbery and tree roots so that there was a clear space for drainage and construction to begin,” said Chris.

“It was physical work in humid conditions, which tested the resilience of all involved, but which also gave us all a deep sense of shared achievement.

“The school is important not only because it will bring the neighbouring villages together through a central meeting point, but because education equips and empowers Cambodian children to break the cycle of inter-generational poverty, debt, manual labour and exploitation that exists in their communities and make informed and empowered choices about their own life path.

“The school will teach English, mathematics and reading and writing in Khmer.

“It will be open to all children in Tuek Chenh Village and all students who attend will receive food parcels for their families at different times in the year.

“It is hoped that the food parcels will encourage families to send their children to school instead of to work in the fields, ports or factories.

“The school will be overseen by the Lutheran Church of Cambodia, who intend to run the site not only as a place of education but also as a community hub, where local families can access counselling, attend worship services, share meals and celebrate cultural events.”

Tatachilla Lutheran College has nurtured a ten-year relationship with the Lutheran Church of Cambodia and rural villages within Kampong Chhnang province with the hope of better understanding their aspirations and needs and supporting Tatachilla students to address these needs through practical and sustainable support.

Students from Tatachilla visit Krus Village and other rural townships in the Kampong Chhnang region every year. To date they have helped build six modest homes, repair main trade roads and construct a preschool for the residents of Krus Village. They have also pooled the efforts of their fundraising initiatives to provide food packages for families in the region throughout the height of COVID and purchased a motorbike for the local Krus Village church leaders, so that they could travel to remote areas and administer pastoral care.

“The rural communities that our students assist do not have access to any social welfare and are less likely to receive a full education because they are more geographically isolated,” Chris said.

“This is why hands-on practical help and capacity-building is so essential to the wellbeing of entire villages in these rural regions.

“Our students are greatly privileged to be in a position to play a meaningful role in the lives of others and learn so much about Cambodian history, culture and rural life.

“Spending time in these rural villages enables our students to witness firsthand the lasting impact of their philanthropic efforts and gives them the opportunity work alongside non-government organisations that are helping to genuinely improve the quality of life for communities in need.

“Service learning such as this is a cornerstone of the Tatachilla curriculum and encourages students to develop community mindedness, become globally aware, affect positive social change and learn to be a humble and contributing guest in someone else’s world.”

The new school in Tuek Chenh is anticipated to open in less than a year. Tatachilla Lutheran College students will return to the site of the new school in 2025 to continue supporting the Lutheran Church of Cambodia and the teachers and children of Tuek Chenh and Krus as they learn and grow in their new shared space. 

“At Tatachilla, spiritual growth, values and meaning are just as important as intellectual growth, academic achievement and employability,” said Chris.

“We believe that positive change in the world can and does occur when it first begins with the heart.

“Our staff and students are honoured to be able to partner with communities in Cambodia to help generate real opportunities for children and families to thrive and intend to uphold this partnership for generations to come.”