As a boy growing up in the poverty of Cambodia, Jimmy understood the importance of speaking English and worked hard to learn it on his own. He now strives to teach it to the children around him for free, in hopes of a stronger Cambodia.
Jimmy was born in a village near Siem Reap in 1987. Vietnam had recently invaded the country in an attempt to abolish the devastating Khmer Rouge regime, the country would continue to be at war until 1991. The Khmer Rouge had exterminated the country's upper and middle classes, industries and worst of all its education system and intellectuals. Cambodia was literally left to rebuild itself from scratch without any shovels.
From a young age, Jimmy realized two things: education was one of the largest asset that Cambodia was now lacking and that help in the form of trade, aid, investment and industry, would mostly come from the developed outside world. By observing the tourists that had started to return to the country he noticed that regardless of their origin it was always English that connected them. Therefore he thought that if Cambodia was to reintegrate itself to the global community English would be the bridge.
Learning English on his own
The quality of English classes at his depleted schools was very poor when Jimmy was growing up, a problem that persists today. That wasn't going to deter him from learning the language that he saw as the seed that could regrow his country's economy and quality of life. He was going to exhaust every source of English knowledge that he could get his mind on.
Angkor Wat has hundreds if not thousands of daily visitors from other countries, which means most have one thing in common: they all speak English. Jimmy took advantage of that and helped give them tours and information in exchange for a little conversation and for help with his English notes.
His thirst for knowledge and his relentless pursuit of it are inspiring for everyone that has the privilege of meeting him.
He studied English in his local village for four years and then continued to learn on his own time by cycling to Angkor Wat temple on weekends and practicing conversation with foreigners. Following this, Jimmy began to set aside three hours every evening, sitting in his mother’s front yard, studying English lessons from his ex-teachers, and engaging with tourists passing by.
Teaching English to the children in Cambodia
Now that he is successfully fluent in English, his goal is to spread this gift and help the children around him lead better lives. After completing highschool, he dreamt of opening his own English school. With some planning and negotiation, his mother let him use her small front yard, and Jimmy held his first class on August 1st 2011. Several street kids from behind Jimmy’s village registered, as well as a number of neighborhood children. From there word quickly spread and new kids were showing up every day. Jimmy's English School was born!
“For a child in a poor country such as Cambodia, English is a vital resource to breaking out and leading a better life!”
Since then, he has been providing 3 free classes every day. Jimmy single handedly plans and teaches every one of them, and all that he asks in return from his students is dedication and consistent attendance. They are all too eager to provide both. Their understanding of the importance of education and desire to learn is a refreshing contrast to many children in western societies that have to be dragged kicking and screaming to school by their parents.
Supporting himself
Jimmy insists on keeping his classes free to ensure he can reach the maximum amount of children regardless of their social status or income. This means he still needs a source of revenue. Having traversed Siem Reap innumerable times as a child while fraternizing with tourists in his incessant attempts to learn English, he knows its ins and outs very well. He therefore fills every waking hour outside of planning and teaching at the school with his work as a tour guide, to support himself.
Still, it is not enough, especially when he wanted to add a bachelor degree to his humble high school diploma. He relied on travelers that passed his school and were enamoured with his mission of teaching from the heart, and their donations.
Last year, with the help of several travelers that quickly became friends, he was able to finish his bachelor degree in English as a foreign language and teaching, and is now on his way to transforming his school into a state recognized institution.
While he was studying, he was doing so while also teaching and working his full time job, all at the same time. We should all be so lucky to find something in life we are as passionate about as Jimmy is to his cause.
Jimmy's other missions
Other than the English school he benevolently built, Jimmy is very active in the community. He has worked with various charities in the past to assist with the many other needs in the villages surrounding Siem Reap. From helping install water filters in isolated villages affected by contaminated water, to delivering food to underprivileged areas, Jimmy is always looking to ensure a bright future for his beloved country of Cambodia.