Dear Friends,
Hope all is well with you. While here in Cambodia we often get to know people working at restaurants and businesses. Last year we met a lovely young woman who was working at a cafe/restaurant. As we got chatting with her we found that she was one of five children, her mother had died, her father is deaf and two other siblings are deaf as well. Her family, (including her aging grandparents) live on a small piece of land in a small village about 40 minutes from Siem Reap. Sohing learned English on her own and moved to the city to find a job and provide for her family. The family has a small rice field
and some farm animals. Sohing also supports the children in her community by providing English lessons for 2 hours every week. Every Tuesday children from around the area come to learn and play in the small open walled classroom under her house. Every other Tuesday she offers all 60 kids a nutritious meal; as many of the families can only afford to eat rice and salt. Sohing hires a teacher to teach and she provides the books and pens etc. She also started a community garden, which the children care for and can harvest. Last year K.I.D.S. provided some books and pens for her program.
This year we met up again, at the same restaurant. We asked if she needed anything for her little school, she said she needed four more desks and some more books and pens. She invited us to meet the children, her family and see the school.
Arriving at the school, we met the kids and they were all excited to practice their English. Sohing was cooking a hug pot of food and the children devoured the delicious rice porridge with meat and veggies very quickly.
Later in the year, we visited Sohing's school again. She had put a new roof on the side of her house to increase the space of the overcrowded classroom area under her house. To do this, she had sold her motorcycle, which was her main means of transportation. This increased her working hours to 12 hours a day, six days a week. She continued to go out to her village on her day off to teach the children. We were very moved by her dedication. We went out again and saw the roof and the school and decided to fund the extension. Sohing was beyond words when we gave her the funds.
We often meet people who sacrifice their time, their own comfort and stability to assist others... giving until it hurts. These are the unsung heros in our world. Thank you Sohing for what you do and thanks to all of you for supporting K.I.D.S. to assist her in her good work.
The very best,
Adrianne and Rick
