In May of 2004, Chris Coats and board member, Karin Ralph, visited with the Angkor Thom District Chief to discuss the district's priority needs. The chief reported that Sras Village, the poorest of 100 villages in the district, was in serious need of a school. No other international organization in the region had offered to help with this.

Of the 600 + children, only 32 had ever attended school, having to travel great distances to a neighboring village.

On February 7, 2005 the village of Sras deeded Trailblazer Foundation a 150' x 300' parcel of land for the construction of Sras Primary School. The deed was prepared to protect the project and prevent any disagreements or post-construction land costs. Relevant land owners and heads of household signed the deed with their thumb prints.

Villagers volunteered hundreds of hours of manual labor to excavate and clear the jungle and termite mounds from the site. They maintained the roads to allow construction trucks access. As part of the agreement with the general contractor, Trailblazers required that local villagers be hired as laborers on the construction project providing them with vocational training and employment.

The 4-class, one multi-use room school was completed in April 2006. At the June inauguration ceremony, Trailblazer Foundation signed the school land deed over to the Cambodian government authorities for its preservation and management.

Between July and August 2006, the Provincial Education Office conducted assessments to determine the appropriate placement of students. Based on the student population, the education office provided three teachers the first year, which began with three 1st grade classes and one 2nd grade class. By 2008 there was one 1st grade class, two 2nd grade classes, three 3rd grades classes, and one 4th grade class and six teachers.

In 2007, Trailblazer completed its second government school construction project, an additional four-classroom building for the Sras Primary School. This second building gives sufficient classroom space for the rapidly growing student population and will serve the children of Sras and the surrounding region well into the future. The student population grew from 83 students in 2004 to 243 students in 2008. The two buildings will accommodate 640 students. Now, in 2010, there are 7 classrooms being utilized and afternoon classes have begun to accommodate the growing student population.

As with all of our development projects, Trailblazer works with the local officials and beneficiaries, allowing them to identify their needs and suggest solutions. Each year, we visit the Angkor Thom District officials for a list of their priority needs.

Our relationships and agreements with the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport remain strong, ensuring the sustainability of each school we construct. The Cambodian government continues to provide paid certified teachers. This guarantees that each matriculating student receives a graduation certificate so they may continue on to secondary and higher levels of education.

In 2008, the district leadership asked Trailblazer to construct its third government school for Ta Trav Village. The existing wooden school structure in Ta Trav was so badly termite-ridden that support beams were collapsing. Trailblazers, in partnership with Ta Trav village, completed a new six-classroom school building, which can accommodate 480 students, in May 2009.

Having established rapport with the Angkor Thom District officials, we find that the local leaders and officials now come to us requesting partnership.

In March 2009, the district chief asked Trailblazer Foundation to participate in a government-led pilot project. We have been asked to construct a three-classroom Kindergarten school which will support the Ministry of Woman Affairs newly constructed Women's Development Center. The kindergarten, the first of its kind in Angkor Thom, will provide a learning environment for young children while their mothers attend vocational training at the new center. Trailblazer Foundation is honored to be asked to participate in this government initiative.

We are engaging in a new partnership to support vocational training opportunities for women and girls in Angkor Thom District. The Women's Development Center in Angkor Thom has the capacity for 1500 women and girls from four surrounding villages to receive vocational training.

This kindergarten project will have far reaching impact for several reasons: