A Classroom Without Walls: Digital Sala Camps Bring Learning to Displacement Sites

PHNOM PENH — In the dusty calm of displacement camps in Oddar Meanchey, classrooms are quietly going digital. Two newly launched “Sala Camps” are giving displaced students and teachers a lifeline to learning—bringing computers, offline libraries and solar power to communities where schools, books and internet access are often out of reach.

The Department of Digital Transformation officially launched the two Sala Camps at Chongkal Camp and Wat Bat Thkao Camp on January 26, aiming to help children continue their education while narrowing Cambodia’s stubborn digital divide.

The initiative is led by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, working with development partners including KOOMPI, the KMH Foundation of ISI Group, and Aide et Action Cambodia.

Each Sala Camp operates as a compact digital classroom. The setup includes 10 desktop computers for students, a laptop for teachers, and a smart TV for lessons and group learning. Crucially, the system comes with an offline digital library—up to two terabytes of content packed with around 3,000 books and thousands of educational videos—allowing students to study even without an internet connection.

To keep everything running in remote areas, the classrooms are powered by a 16-kilowatt solar energy system, ensuring a stable electricity supply where the grid is unreliable or nonexistent.

KOOMPI has also provided hands-on technology training and maintenance support to 20 teachers and 50 students and guardians, helping them make full use of the digital tools and resources.

Preparing Students For A Digital Future

The Ministry of Education sees digital learning as essential to keeping displaced children in school and ensuring equal access to education. Officials have called for additional support to expand Sala Camps to other displacement sites and rural schools across the country.

The KMH Foundation said it hopes the initiative will help students stay motivated and connected to their studies, even in difficult living conditions and areas without internet access.

Thul Rithy, a representative from KOOMPI, said digital resources also solve practical problems faced by teachers and schools.

“Before, we had to bring physical books to schools, which made it hard to find specific titles and manage materials for different grade levels,” he said. “With digital content, everything is easier to organize and access.”

Rithy stressed that teachers’ creativity is key. In subjects where schools lack specialist instructors, teachers can learn from instructional videos and then guide students in class. Students, he added, can also watch lessons independently before answering questions to check their understanding.

Expanding Digital Learning Tools

At present, offline content at the Sala Camps remains limited. Without internet access, materials currently include KOOMPI’s typing and mouse-control games, along with selected digital resources from the Ministry of Education.

KOOMPI plans to expand that offline library to cover science, computer skills, general knowledge, languages, educational games and basic coding—allowing schools to broaden learning opportunities without paying for internet services.

The organization is also developing educational games in both Khmer and English, focusing on digital literacy and introductory coding skills.

Rithy said KOOMPI’s long-term vision is for every school to have at least one computer lab or digital library with an offline server, enabling students to research and study using their phones through a local Wi-Fi network.

He added that the ministry ultimately hopes to nurture a new generation of digitally skilled workers who can take on remote jobs for companies in the United States, Europe and beyond.

“One of our goals over the next three to five years is to develop students with strong digital skills through Sala Camps and higher education,” Rithy said. “Even students who don’t attend university can still find opportunities to work with KOOMPI in digital services, such as virtual assistance.”

So far, three Sala Camps have been established nationwide: one at Kantoal Primary School in Banteay Meanchey province, and two in Oddar Meanchey at Chongkal Camp and Wat Bat Thkao Camp.