Not only to create bags, but also to make a positive impact in Cambodia – where many of our products are made.
Education is the key to opportunity and a better life.
That’s why we want to build a school together with our community –
a place where children can learn, grow, and unfold their dreams!
The story of teacher Rithy
In search of the right partner for this project, REFISHED founder Sissi Vogler-Wagner met teacher Rithy Lim – a man truly called to his path, whose life story moved us deeply.
“I started teaching in the shade of a large mango tree,” Rithy recalls. “With a blackboard hanging from a branch, a few notebooks and pencils. Soon, more than 100 children came – the youngest in the morning, the older ones in the afternoon, and the teenagers in the evening.”
Unfortunately, everything changed with Covid: teaching was prohibited, and he eventually moved to the city for a new job.
Rithy himself comes from a remote village called Sahak Kom Khang Lech in Kampong Speu province. Although he grew up in an orphanage, a few fortunate turns in life allowed him to study and work as a civil engineer. Yet his heart always belonged to education. Even while working in Phnom Penh, he taught neighborhood children in the evenings as a volunteer.
“I simply can’t help it – teaching is my calling.”
But he always dreamed of returning to his home village and building a real school – right where the first lessons once took place under the mango trees.
Today, we share a common dream:
The construction of the Mango Tree School!
Key elements of the project
To turn our Mango Tree School vision into reality, we’ve committed to building the school step by step together with teacher Rithy Lim, our partner organization AustroCamb, the REFISHED team on site, and our wonderful REFISHED community.
The project is divided into several building blocks that together form one big, meaningful whole:
1. Rity’s Return
We’re supporting Rithy – a teacher by calling – in moving back to his home village. This includes a small salary, a budget to fix up the provisional school hut, funds for tables and benches, and a starter kit that allows him to begin teaching again under his beloved mango trees. > Already accomplished thanks to your support! Classes resumed in November 2025. Regular update videos can be found on Instagram.
2. The First Classroom
Construction of the very first permanent classroom, including basic sanitation facilities and essential equipment – a safe space for children who previously had to learn in a temporary corrugated-tin hut.
3. Schoolbooks & Materials
Notebooks, books, pens, and learning supplies for more than 100 children – so learning becomes not just possible, but colorful and inspiring.
4. Running Costs
Covering the school’s running costs: Rithy’s salary and all ongoing expenses.
5. Expansion: A Second Classroom
Once the first rooms are filled, we aim to grow the school – welcoming even more children from the village and surrounding areas.
6. A Well for the School
Access to clean water right next to the Mango Tree School – essential for students and teachers, and a major step toward better quality of life.
Let's grow education together
This project is bigger than us – and that’s exactly where its power lies.
The Mango Tree School is meant to be a journey we take together:
👉 With your voluntary donation. You can donate directly in our webshop via this link and checkout (it works like a regular online purchase).
👉 Donate via bank transfer: With the reference “Donation Mango Tree School”, you can easily transfer an amount of your choice to REFISHED fair fashion, IBAN > AT781420020010934509, BIC > BAWAATWW
👉 Or at the end of your online order in the checkout. After entering your address, you’ll find an option to add a donation.
👉 By sharing our story and inviting others to be part of it.
We’ll keep you updated with regular progress reports and stories – because every contribution counts, and we want to make your support visible, tangible, and alive.
💛 Thank you for planting opportunities with us – and helping us grow a school.
Brick by brick, dream by dream. 🌳✨