Educate Cambodia Scholarship Fund

Education is their only hope.

Chanthorn desperately wanted to go to college, but without a scholarship, she had no chance.  Alger and I wish we could help all the young Cambodian Christians who dream of a better future for their family and their country. 


We can't save them all, but WE CAN HELP THIS ONE, and are sponsoring Chanthorn's education.  She began her first semester of college last week, and has moved into the church-sponsored dormitory!

 

God has clearly shown us and many others working in Cambodia that educating Christians is key to transforming this nation.  Sponsorship is a strategic way to help proven young Christians obtain an education so they can bring a Godly influence into the laws, values, and practices of Cambodia's government, commerce, and society.

Sponsorship Opportunities

Annual tuition is $450.00 for a reputable university in Cambodia.  Seven additional young leaders from New Life Church are praying for the opportunity to further their education and to help rebuild their nation on Kingdom Principles.  Would you take a look at their profiles below and consider helping to sponsor one of these deserving young people?

If you would like to help, please e-mail us and we will send you the information.
 

Church in a Minefield...Reclaiming the Land

Several people were already waiting for us under the simple bamboo and grass structure when our van pulled onto the property. The freshly plowed plot of land was bordered by a simple fence made of small bamboo poles.  Pastor Sophy greeted those gathered, and then began to give us a brief history of the village and the land where we were standing.

English class on the right while others wait for the Bible study to begin.

"Most people think that the Khmer Rouge were defeated in 1979," he explained.  "But the forested and jungle areas near the borders, including this village, were controlled by the Khmer Rouge until 1998.  "This area was heavily mined, and more than 500 mines have been removed from this land alone."  I hesitated for a moment, praying silently that ALL mines had been detected.

This sign warning of land mines is almost gone.  Sadly, many areas have
not yet been de-mined, rendering the land both useless and dangerous.

Fruit trees, corn, and vegetables now spring from the ground.  He has plans to build a chicken farm, and to establish a "chicken bank."  "Villagers will borrow 4 chickens from the farm and get their own family chicken farm started. Then they will return 4 chickens to the bank, and others will also borrow them."  Simple, but brilliant, I thought.

When Pastor Sophy first connected with this village about a year ago, the name of Jesus had never been heard.  Today, about 50 adults, youth, and children meet weekly for Bible studies, prayer, and worship, along with English classes and medical assistance.

This is the first chance any of these students have ever had to learn English.

Sophy told us of the power of bikes in rural Cambodia.  "When I first arrived here," he said,  "I learned that many of the young people were going to quit school." Village schools only go to the 6th grade, and in order for children  to continue their education, they often have to walk a very long way to the district schools. "We provided bikes for them, and all have continued into secondary (middle) school."

Pastor Sophy and his team are committed to serve the remote villages of Siem Reap, bringing hope and healing to those forgotten by most NGO's and other organizations.  

Better Food=Better Future...Feeding Cambodia's Children

I've been back in Cambodia for two weeks now, and am struggling with what to write about.  After three extended trips here, everything looks normal to me.  I no longer find the thatched homes on stilts, the roaming water buffalo, heavily laden ox-carts or  green fields of rice exotic. It all just seems like everyday life.  So when Alger asked me when I was going to start writing, I answered "when I get a topic to write about."  I knew that inspiration probably wouldn't strike sitting in our guest house room, so I ventured outside for a short stroll.


Turning right outside the GreenPark Village Guest House, I was met by countless tuk-tuk drivers calling "Madaam, you need tuk-tuk?" Trying to explain that no, I really just wanted to walk, was getting old, so I turned down a narrow, muddy alleyway to see what I could find.  Two blocks in, I heard the familiar sound of "hello, hello" coming from young voices.  And seemingly from nowhere, two beautiful little Khmer girls appeared and attached themselves me, one on each leg.  Sensing a great photo opportunity, I pulled out the camera.  And just as quickly, the two smiling faces ran off yelling.  At first I thought they were upset about trying to take their photo, but then they returned...with a little brother in tow.

I took a few shots of these three faces, loving their excited expressions when they saw themselves on the screen.  They ran off once again, this time returning with four more friends.  Trying to take a group shot proved difficult, as they jostled each other, vying for the most prominent position in the front row...  Trying to make sure they were seen...Making sure their face would be in my photo.  I decided to take a video of the group, ensuring that at some point everyone could be clearly seen.

Cambodian children are just like children everywhere...they want to be seen. By loving and caring adults, that in an ideal world could provide the protection, nutrition, education and encouragement needed to realize their full potential. But in a nation with such a young population (45% under the age of 15), there aren't enough caring adult eyes to truly see them.   To see who God created them to be.  To see  the potential in each life.  To provide encouragement and hope for the future.

Cambodia's economy has grown an average of 8.2 % over the past decade, making it the 15th fastest growing economy in the world.  Despite this economic progress, most Cambodians remain desperately poor, and chronic child malnutrition is robbing the people and land of its greatest resource.  Forty percent of children under the age of 5 are stunted (short for their age), and twenty eight percent are underweight.

I used to think that Cambodians were just short...a genetic difference.  But as the Cambodian-American children that I worked with in Charlotte, North Carolina quickly outgrew their parents, I realized my incorrect assumption.  It wasn't just genetics, but nutrition. For poor Cambodian families, diet is limited to rice and a few vegetables.


This has serious implications for the future of Cambodia, because malnutrition has irreversible effects on health and human development.

The first 1000 days, from the beginning of pregnancy to a child’s second birthday, are considered a critical “window of opportunity” during which poor nutrition can result in stunted growth, diminished immune response, impaired intellectual ability, poor school performance and lower economic productivity.

Early-life malnutrition is also associated with increased risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease and other non-communicable illnesses later in life.

Cambodia will never be able to realize anything near it's full potential until the serious issue of child malnutrition is addressed.  Much education and training is needed to provide mothers the knowledge and resources needed to provide a solid foundation for their children's future.

Cambodian Journey in Pictures 2012