These are organisations/people that Help Cambodia works with, supports, or we just love the work they do in Cambodia.
HEARTPRINT
In 2019 HELP Cambodia was introduced to Heartprint and was blown away by the wonderful work this in-country (non-religious) NGO does in Siem Reap. Heartprint operates a community support centre in Phum Thmey village on the outskirts of the city. Heartprints’ mission is to create opportunity not dependency. Accordingly, Heartprints’ programs help people learn new skills so as to increase their ability, confidence and self-worth, which enables them to take control of their own lives and future.
The Heartprint community support centre is operated by Khmer staff and the work of Heartprint is enhanced by many volunteers.
Heartprints’ services focus primarily on housing and education to allow poverty stricken families in rural Cambodia to break the cycle of poverty and become self-sufficient. Learn more about Heartprint at https://heartprint.org.au
BATTAMBANG OPHTHALMIC CARE CENTRE (BOC)
BOC is a wonderful Cambodian NGO that has been delivering cataract surgeries to the poor in the north western rural provinces since 2006. It is managed by the inspiring Ek Sarou and, when sufficient funding is in place, can deliver 5,000 surgeries per annum. The service is free and the clinic is run by offering consultations in the morning and conducting the surgeries in the afternoon. Patients stay overnight before being reviewed the next morning and cleared for discharge to their homes. Patients can travel from as far away as 150km as BOC offers an outreach program where technicians travel by motorbike to conduct mobile clinics. BOC is the only service of its kind in the north west – an area with a population of over 1.2 million.
The benefactors of BOC are predominantly Australian, some having provided significant funding over many years. Since meeting Ek Sarou in 2013 HELP Cambodia has assisted the organisation in small ways and on a number of occasions partnered with Rotary under its District Grant program to provide specific funding for small scale equipment. HELP Cambodia signed a Memorandum of Understanding with BOC in 2015 to formalise our relationship with the organisation and to show our continued support of the work the in-country NGO is carrying out. HELP Cambodia visit BOC each year when our team travels over on the annul trip.
BUILDING COMMUNITY CAMBODIA
Building Community Cambodia (BCC) grew it’s roots in 2014 in rural Siem Reap. Having built Lotus House in 2016, a centre catering to the most impoverished, vulnerable people living in the community, it has now established free English education to over 300 kids as well as women’s and girls health workshops. Through its work at Lotus House the team has identified the great need to improve the lives of the elderly and have established the Elderly Care Program by giving monthly pensions through sponsorship. Additionally, BCC does home repairs and rebuilds and provides medical and hospital care. BCC also encourages independence in the elderly who are still able to work by giving small enterprise start ups. Learn more about BCC at http://www.buildingcommunitycambodia.org
ROBYN'S CANS
Robyns’ passion for Cambodia began in 2012 on her first trip there and she has returned every year since. Robyn fundraises in various ways (in her words “begging mainly”) - raffles, sewing, trivia nights and collecting recycling cans. Funds from the cans has enabled Robyn to support the BCC Elderly program days (or “Yay Days” as Robyn loves to refer to them - Yay is grandmother in Khmer) providing new bedding, some linen, grocery staples, toiletries and always throwing in a sarong or two for both the grandmas and grandpas. Two years ago Robyn’s can recycling funds managed to raise enough to buy a tuk tuk for Lotus House (BCC) so that the elderly or sick would always have transport if needed.
If anyone would like to donate their recycling cans to Robyn please email HELP Cambodia and we will put you in touch. Robyn lives in Wagga Wagga.
DELL'S SUCCULENTS
Wagga Probus member Dell has been propagating and selling succulents for charity for many years and after HELP Cambodia committee members addressed her club in 2017, Dell decided to donate the funds from this activity to the DCC school project. What a lovely gesture of support. Dell often also creates a beautiful mixed succulent pot for our raffles.
DAYS FOR GIRLS WAGGA WAGGA
HELP Cambodia has twice partnered with Days for Girls Wagga Wagga team to conduct distributions of the wonderful DfG Kit to girls in rural Cambodia (together with valuable education around menstrual health). Learn more about Days for Girls at https://www.daysforgirls.org/australia/
