History | History |
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 In 2005 during a tour of the temples at Angkor Wat, I met the most remarkable woman in the person of Ponheary Ly. After surviving the Khmer Rouge regime, she returned to Siem Reap with what was left of her family. During the time of the Vietnamese installed regime, Ponheary became a teacher and in secret learned how to speak French and English, a crime punishable by imprisonment. In 1998 when Cambodia held its own elections and the country once again opened up to Westerners, Ponheary became a much sought-after tour guide. But she never forgot her students, especially the disenfranchised village children who had no opportunity to go to school. She began leveraging her relationship with those who toured with her and accepted donations to get these rural village children into school. By 2005, three-quarters of the population was too young to remember the killing fields of the Khmer Rouge. Many people, Ponheary included, feared history repeating itself if illiterate, poor, angry young peasants should once again take up arms and decimate their own people. To this end, there is a great need to affect the prevailing 60% illiteracy rate that persists in the rural villages. The good news is that these kids are keen to go to school and their parents are generally happy to send them. There are two major stumbling blocks: uniforms and school supplies. Approximately $19-20 buys the necessary items for one child for one year. That's all it takes. Help us help Ponheary. Please go to the "Donate" page and make a donation. If everyone does a little bit, a lot gets done. To read more on the History of Cambodia, please go to: |