Elementary School Children in Kumamoto Harvest Rice to Support Education in Cambodia

In Ashikita, Kumamoto Prefecture, the town has been supporting Cambodia since 1996 by raising funds and growing rice. This effort started when local children held a charity bazaar and learned about the country's post-civil war nation-building. The town's international exchange association has since helped build six schools in Cambodia.

In the recent program, rice harvested by the children will be sold at a roadside rest station in the town, and the proceeds will aid in school building in Cambodia. Twenty students from the third to sixth grades at Ono Elementary School participated in the harvest, collecting 240 kilograms of rice using sickles. One student, Toma Saibayashi, expressed that he found the rice harvesting event fun and was glad to be part of producing rice that would help people in Cambodia.

Elementary school children in Ashikita, Kumamoto recently harvested rice as part of a fundraising and education initiative to support schooling in Cambodia. This program is part of the town's ongoing efforts to assist Cambodia, with the international exchange association having aided in building six schools there. The harvested rice will be sold, and the proceeds will go toward building schools in Cambodia. Around 20 students from Ono Elementary School participated in the harvest, and the event was not only an educational activity but also an opportunity for the children to contribute to a noble cause. One student, 11-year-old Toma Saibayashi, shared his enjoyment of the harvest and the satisfaction of knowing that the rice they produced would be beneficial to people in Cambodia.