Last
year we learned about a charity I have supported since 2012, Human and Hope
Association in Siem Reap, Cambodia. This month Human and Hope made the
transition to being entirely Khmer operated, and I recently had the chance to
catch up with my friend, Sally, who successfully made herself redundant from
her role.
This month Human and Hope have launched a new crowd funding campaign called Elephants For Education.
Congratulations
on finishing your role at Human and Hope! How do you feel?
I feel so proud of the achievements of my team, but if
I am speaking honestly, I really do miss Human and Hope a lot. I keep comparing
my departure from the organisation to how a parent must feel when their child
leaves home!
Why
was it important for you to make Human and Hope entirely Khmer run?
The
reason I joined Human and Hope Association was to help the organisation and
staff reach their full potential, then step back. Admittedly, I was naïve at
the beginning and thought it would take a year. It has taken almost four years
and a LOT of hard work. However, it was worth it as I truly believe that local
operation of NGO’s is the way to move communities out of poverty.
The
biggest reasons that we believe local organisations should be run by locals is
because of empowerment and sustainability. We believe that local people are the
subject matter experts, as they are the ones who know the country, culture and
traditions best. By promoting team work amongst the locals, they can learn from
each other and not become reliant on foreigners. Having volunteers come and go
isn’t sustainable. What IS sustainable is training local staff, who can in
turn, train more local staff as part of a succession plan.
Tell me about your new crowdfunding campaign, Elephants for Education?
This is something I am SUPER excited about! Our key
project at Human and Hope is educating children between the ages of five and 18
so that they can break the cycle of poverty. In order to do something different
to raise funds to educate our 150 students in 2017, we have launched a crowdfunding
campaign titled Elephants for Education. By pledging funds, supporters can
purchase their own stuffed elephants from just $25, with postage included in
Australia!
These 10 different elephants are made by
our graduated sewing students in Cambodia, so not only are you supporting the
education of children with your purchase, you are also providing a fair wage to
a Cambodian woman so she can support her family! Not only is each elephant
super cute, but each one has their own name. For example, Bopha can provide a
whole month’s English education to a child, and Amao Jr. can provide a month of
clean drinking water to all their students!
Why
is education in Cambodia so important?
Between 1975 and 1979, an estimated two million people (a
quarter of the population at the time) were killed in Cambodia through
starvation, torture, execution, disease and overwork under the ruling of the
Khmer Rouge. Intellectuals were targeted, and as a result, Cambodia lost most
of their educated population.
It has taken a long time to rebuild Cambodia, and although the
education system has developed in leaps and bounds, there is still a strong
lack of education and skills in our community that has led to a life of poverty
for our villagers.
With poverty comes other social issues, such as lack of hygiene
which results in increased illnesses, domestic violence, and child labour. We
work directly with children and their families so that with our support they
can understand the value of education and help to address these social issues.
We want them to break the cycle of poverty so that the next generation don’t
have to deal with the hardships that this generation does.
By educating our students
we are empowering them to create sustainable futures for themselves.
To purchase an elephant for $25 with shipping included
in Australia, visit Human and Hope’s crowdfunding
campaign.
Make sure to follow them on Instagram (@humanandhope) for exclusive
giveaways during the campaign!
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