AKP Phnom Penh, September 16, 2025 --

The Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) Cambodia Office, together with the Cambodia–Korea Alumni Association (CAMKAA) and World Friends Korea (WFK) volunteers, organised an integrated social contribution activity at Pursat Kampong Luong Primary School on Sept. 16. 

The event brought together more than 600 participants, including students, teachers, parents, local officials, volunteers, and community members, making the school grounds a hub of energy and goodwill, according to a KOICA’s news release AKP received this evening. 

The ceremony was attended by H.E. Khoy Rida, Governor of Pursat province; Mr. Ny Chetra, Principal of Pursat Kampong Luong Primary School; Ms. CHOI Moon Jung, Country Director of KOICA Cambodia Office; and Mr. Im Sour, President of CAMKAA. CAMKAA board members, officials from the Pursat Provincial Government, KOICA staff, and WFK volunteers also joined the event.

As part of the event, KOICA and CAMKAA provided 150 bicycles, 250 school bags, 400 notebooks and pens, 300 toothbrushes and toothpaste, sets of textbooks and storybooks, and nutritious cookies. These donations will directly benefit hundreds of students and their families, helping children commute to school more easily, study with adequate materials, and improve their health and hygiene practices.

Beyond material support, the event carried the greater significance of integrating KOICA’s diverse cooperation initiatives. It was not only a donation ceremony but also a platform that linked KOICA’s volunteer programmes, alumni activities, and project-based initiatives. The National Pediatric Hospital volunteer team, including a doctor and two nurses, provided consultations, while PMCI, a Korea-based medical volunteer NGO, contributed by bringing a mobile clinic bus equipped with digital X-ray, ultrasound, blood testing machines and other functions.

In addition, CAMKAA members and WFK volunteers conducted basic nutrition and hygiene education for children from kindergarten to primary school. Activities included reading nutrition-themed storybooks to identify nutrients in food, matching food items to school meal photos, and practicing toothbrushing with dental models.

The school itself is part of the KOICA–WFP Home-Grown School Feeding Programme in Cambodia (Phase I: 2020–2024, Phase II: 2025–2029). Across Pursat province, 116 schools benefit from this programme, which aims to enhance children’s nutrition, school attendance, and learning outcomes through improved meal systems using local agricultural products. Linking the school feeding programme with social activities such as today’s event generated synergies that extended beyond the classroom to the wider community.

H.E. Governor Khoy Rida expressed his appreciation for KOICA’s continued support and highlighted the importance of partnerships that bring tangible benefits to children and families in Pursat.

In her remarks, Ms. CHOI Moon Jung, Country Director of KOICA Cambodia Office, emphasised the broader meaning of the event: “Today’s event is a symbol of the strong and lasting friendship between Korea and Cambodia.” She also conveyed her gratitude to Governor Khoy Rida and the Pursat provincial administration for their cooperation and reaffirmed KOICA’s commitment to long-term collaboration.

KOICA has a longstanding partnership with Pursat province, having dispatched 25 WFK volunteers since 2006 in education, health, and vocational training. This event demonstrated how Korea’s cooperation with Cambodia now unites multiple dimensions of support—volunteer programs, alumni engagement, training initiatives, and national projects—under one collaborative framework, creating meaningful impacts for children and communities across Pursat.

AKP