Each year, English teacher Mitchell Maddox makes a modest donation to a small, English language school in Siem Reap, Cambodia, to fund its operation for one month.
“I met a young man named Savong Svay three years ago while backpacking in Cambodia,” Maddox said. “I was in Siem Reap to see the famous Angkor temples, and he asked me if I would like to come to his school to help him teach for a day or two. I did, and the rest is history.”
Founded and built by Svay, Savong School offers local villagers a way out of poverty through education. It is the only school of its type in Cambodia, and it has grown from a handful of students in 2004 when it was built to more than 400 today.
“About 30 years ago, the Khmer Rouge executed nearly 2 million people in Cambodia, including the majority of educators. This left Cambodia without teachers for a generation,” Maddox said. “Recently, a state-sponsored education has reemerged, but due to graft and general corruption, certificates of completion seem to go to the wealthiest students. At Savong School, free education for villagers means equal opportunities for young and old. With no money changing hands, the school can ensure that each student is assessed according to his or her abilities. The school is a model for both Cambodia and the developing world.”
Maddox’s annual donation to Savong School pays for school supplies, teacher salaries, food, cleaning costs, general maintenance and fuel for the generator (as there are no central utilities available). When he started supporting the school in 2006, the cost of operating the school for one month was $350. Today, inflation has increased the cost to $850.
This year, Maddox’s advisee group got involved in his fund-raising effort. They raised $215 for Savong School, and Maddox provided $615. Together, their donation funded the cost of a motorbike to transport teachers to and from the school, and they are already looking forward to sponsoring another fundraiser for the school after Spring Break.
"This was a unique servant leadership opportunity because we have a connection to the people being helped," said sophomore Emily Grizzard. "Mr. Maddox told us all about how he met Mr. Savong and visited his school. It's nice to know that by doing something as small as selling some chicken biscuits in the Cove we were able to buy a motorbike for a man who built his own school to help children get a better education."
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Mitchell Maddox to learn more about Savong School.
