Rachel Rosenfeld, center, from New York, cuts a ribbon to open the R.S. Rosenfeld school in Srah Khvav village in Siem Reap. (AP Photo)

Hundreds of Cambodian villagers welcomed the arrival of a new primary school recently, a gift from an American teenager who was ill for a year and decided to use her time away from school to help raise 52-thousand US Dollars to open a school in Cambodia. VOA's Ker Yann has the report.

Rachel Rosenfeld, 17, made her first visit to the opening of the R.S. Rosenfeld School, which brings computers and Internet access to 300 primary school students in a small village of Siem Reap province.

Rachel Rosenfeld: "I feel amazing now that it's all done, seeing all the kids just makes me feel so good, and I feel like I really did something to help people and it means a lot to me".

Rosenfeld learned about the village of Srah Khvav after reading a newspaper article last year about poor Cambodian children who often have no access to education. She was horrified to learn that some young Cambodian girls end up being sold into prostitution by their parents. Students lined up the road as Rosenfeld arrived at the school.

Heng Thy, student: "I feel very excited because I have a new school to study and make me eager to continue my education."

The 52-thousand dollars she raised was supplemented by funds from the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank.

Information for this report was provided by APTN.