Khun Bunlee
Khun Bunlee was born in a small village in Cambodia, and, starting at age two, he was raised by single mothers with three other siblings. He is not sure when he started school, but he could read and write by the time he was nine. His “Mum” sent him to study at a pagoda and live as a Temple Boy; this gave him an opportunity to study and become a Monk. At age 16, Bunlee started volunteering as a teacher to teach younger children English. He then got a job with the Emergency Surgical Centre for War Victims, an Italian NGO, where he learned by experience. There he set up library rooms, taught nurses English for the language of their work, taught child victims in hospitals, and studied more with math, English, and Khmer. This is where he began to understand more on how humanity works in terms of health and education. In 2014, Bunlee worked with a local team to set up the KHEN NGO for Education. They together have built community schools transforming schools from huts and under-house schools to proper and safe schools for rural and marginalized community children. To date, Bunlee and his KHEN team have built 82 schools in five districts along the border of Khmer Thai and Ex-Khmer Rouge’s strong battling zones in Pol Pot Regime. Bunlee offers thanks to all the partners and friends and the team and volunteers who support this work to empower children in rural areas.