We are working with the villagers in Tanop village, a rural farming community of subsistence farmers, situated 48 klms from the capital city of Phnom Penh.

Life is a day-to-day struggle for these families. Education is a luxury most cannot afford.

The standard of living is very poor. With no running water, sanitation, and proximity to medical facilities, the villagers have few opportunities to improve the quality of life they have. Many families have traded their land, their livelihood.............. to pay for medical attention, or to feed their family members.

When you visit Tanop you realise just how easy it would be for people to give up hope.

It is imperative we show these villagers that we care.

We are against handouts, as that action erodes pride and dignity. But it is important to walk beside these people and give a hand up wherever it is needed. To help with projects that offer a number of opportunities  leading to sustainability and resulting in life changes.

Our aim is to be concerned with helping to implement projects that help address all the above issues.

PROJECTS

1. The Tanop Community Education Centre.

WHY WE BUILT IT!

It was a village decision to build this as a priority.

WHY?

Education changes lives, and can be the greatest catalyst for improving health, seeking Vocational training, and having the ability to prosper self esteem and self worth. Education helps people make life changes, and opens the doors of opportunities.

Education empowers communities, and influences the thinking, politics and organization of the way a country is run.

With the genocide of the educated class by the Khmer Rouge, in the 1970's, Cambodia needs to rebuild. It has lost much. Only 57% of Cambodian children reach Grade 5.

Cambodian Children are their country's future!

Educating  them is vital.

In  2008 we raised $15 500 USD to build an Education centre in Tanop Village.  Local village builders were used, and in two months they had built four classrooms and a toilet block.

We opened the Education Centre on the 7th of February 2009.

855 students enrolled to attend rotating classes  held from 7.30 am to 7.30pm , six days a week. We employed 7 teachers from local villages.

Today, the school has grown.  We number over 1300 students, have implemented more programs and built more classrooms ! We now employ 10 teachers.

We offer:

• English classes
• Khmer Literacy classes
• Maths, Chemistry and Physics tutoring
• An Early Education program  (3 to 6 years)
• Art workshops
• Health Education
• In service training for staff
• Vocational training
• Leadership Training
• Tertiary Study

It is of importance that the Tanop Community Education Centre is seen to be an important hub of the local Community.

2. Improved Health Practices

• we teach our students health and hygiene practices which will contribute to a better quality of life for them and for their families  through knowing how to prevent illnesses.
• we implement clean water projects.
• (80% of illnesses are water related)
• we take groups of our students to a free dental clinic each month for dental care.
• Food relief  ( for those families in need)

3. Micro-businesses

We see the importance of micro-businesses as a vital role in empowering people to help themselves, ensuring our local, rural community's sustainability. It is a seedbed of creative ideas, inventions and employment, which gives vulnerable people access to resources ,enabling them to take control of their lives and make changes necessary to break free from poverty.

Most of our businesses are set up by donations. Repayments can take the form of setting another family up with kind, or by repaying  the loan in a monetary sense.

Projects established to date:

• the duck project
• a school food stall
• a tuk tuk project
• a bicycle repair shop

4. Agriculture Projects

Various projects to improve agricultural practices, and to establish new projects relevant to the farming Community.

eg  aquaculture, vegetable growing, animal husbandry etc