Our Process

After Pisey has assessed and shortlisted the communities, Richie meets with the village chief, the headmaster, teachers and the school committee, listening to their needs and confirming genuine community ownership and long-term commitment.

If he believes the project is the right fit, it is then presented to the Hark Angels Board, who formally vote on whether to approve the school.

It's true that our team's travel, food and accommodation are paid privately and never from donations, with one exception worth mentioning.

Pisey remains on the ground throughout the build, overseeing construction, coordinating with local contractors, and ensuring the school is completed to the standard we expect.

As she is actively managing the project on behalf of Hark Angels, her project-related costs are covered as part of delivering the build.

We keep our running costs lean, so that as much of every donation as possible goes towards building and supporting schools.

Construction is local. Local builders, local materials, local jobs. The money stays in the community as the school goes up, and the people who built it know exactly what's in the walls.

Before construction begins, we obtain at least three competitive quotes from local builders. This ensures we achieve the best value for money while maintaining the quality and standard we expect from every Hark Angels school.

Here's the part that makes a school last. Each one is registered and recognised by the government, which means it's staffed with government-approved, government-funded teachers. The teaching doesn't depend on us, or on next year's donations. It's permanent.

The doors open. Children who'd never been to school, or were pulled away from school to work, walk in. We're there for it, and so is everyone who helped make it happen.

This is where most charities stop. We don't. We stay in touch with the headmaster, follow the first year, and keep following after that. Every school we've built is still a relationship, which is why we can tell you what's happening inside each one, today.