New Hope Cambodia

Link to New Hope Cambodia
Link to My Fundraising Page

 Hey guys,

     So as some of you already know, I have spent the last couple weeks volunteering at an NGO called New Hope Cambodia. I have been so impressed by the organization that I decided to start a fundraiser due to terminate on my last day, May 9th. I have set an ambitious goal of raising  5 000USD for the Outreach department – 5 000USD that will have an enormously positive impact on the community ! And because I’ve already been volunteering in Outreach for a couple weeks, I’ve also been able to put together (information below) an honest, ‘inside look’ as to what it is we do, EXACTLY what your money will be used for, and why it’s needed now.

Morning Assembly at the School

 New Hope Cambodia:

     In 2007, situated within one of the poorest ‘slum’ areas of this war-torn country, New Hope Cambodia was born inside a makeshift, grass hut school purchased by a local Khmer, Mr. Sot Kemsour. Just seven years later, NHC now consists of a full size school, health clinic, outreach department, women’s shelter, family shelter home, training restaurant, and much more (see NHC website). Educating over 1000 children daily, and employing over 70 local Khmer staff – many of which are old NHC students – NHC runs on the model of ‘teaching people how to fish, instead of giving fish to people’, in effort “To restore hope, dignity and promise to these once proud and prosperous people.”

Cooking Fire :)

     Outreach department: 

 Although the rest of NHC has its aims on education and career building, the outreach department was established in effort to combine this approach along with addressing the immediate needs of the community. We currently look after 338 sponsored families (this number grows every week), providing them with rice, sauces, garlic, and a few dollars each month. We also coordinate the shelter homes, operate the crisis care club, and provide additional care to the community. This is where you come in. Our supply room is constantly dwindling. Currently we are out of tarps and have only a handful of mosquito nets and blankets – we are being forced to turn away people who need essential items for safe living. And with rainy reason just around the corner, all of these items are going to be at an increased demand – yet we are lacking the funds to a) prepare for this event, and b) meet with even the minimalistic demands of the present! You money will go directly to the outreach department providing support and relief, as needed, for as long as it lasts.

One of the Sponsor Families

I have put together a list below of some of the things I’ve seen distributed over the last couple weeks and the costs associated with doing so:

Large, high quality tarp                                                                   $25
Large, high quality mosquito net                                                      $6.5
Sleeping mat                                                                                  $6
Blanket                                                                                          $3.5
Bicycle                                                                                           $38
50kg of  emergency rice for unsponsored families                            $36
Bus tickets                                                                                      $8
Emergency food money                                                                   $2-5
Wash Basin                                                                                     $2.5
Fan                                                                                                 $32
House repair                                                                                    ?

     I can assure you that every dollar you donate will be used to buy either one or more of the above items, or be used for outreach staff/volunteer essentials (The gas we use for home visits and the refill of our 20L water supply, ~0.60USD/per working day, are the only two I can think of).

On my first 'rice drop day' we distributed over 14 000kg of rice!

This is the day we deliver the rice to all of our sponsored families. To explain - in the video: I walk out the clinic and outreach building, next you can see the training restaurant, all the families waiting for rice, then the large building near the end is our school.

 Your money is making a real difference in the lives of people who live in a (probably) much less fortunate situation than your own. Please share this page (or a link to my fundraising page) to anyone you feel may be interested in making a contribution. Message me for info about the appalling living conditions of rural Cambodia... or just do a quick Google Search

 Thank you so much for your support,

 Have a nice day,

 Rylan


 Other Ways to Support New Hope Cambodia:

Head to NHC’s website to sponsor a family or a child’s education
Find a different branch within NHC that you would rather support
Find a different NHC sponsorship page that has an alternate directive
Come volunteer and experience NHC for yourself! :)


Link to New Hope Cambodia
Link to My Fundraising Page


On another note.... Man do I have some stories for you guys :) soon I'm off to Nepal where I'm sure the books will be rewritten once more. MANY new photos (just added a couple now), amazing videos, and a nice write up coming in the near future (couple months :))! Stay Tuuuuned. And as usual - Miss you all :(

This year I...

I want you to take a couple minutes to think about this exact time, one year ago. Begin by thinking about where you were and who you were with. Then think about who you thought you were at that time - how you looked, what you wore, and how you presented yourself to others. Think about all of your affairs, think about the feelings you experienced, the friends you had, and any relationship you may have been in. Maybe think about the way that you looked at the world - or even the way in which the world looked at you! Who were you, what were you doing, and where were you going??

Now, take a look at this past year and think about how much has changed! Did it all happen the way you thought it would? Could you have ever imagined? It's amazing how much can happen in just one year. 

Now imagine if you had spent every moment of this last year working towards a definite goal - without wasting time on trivial matters such as excessive shopping, eating, sleeping, TV, gaming, gossip, etc. - you could have, WITHOUT A DOUBT, accomplished absolutely anything you wanted. You had the time. 

But there is good news - you still have that time! You can become anyone you want to become and accomplish anything you want to accomplish. All you need to do is to set your goals and then step towards them! Your future lies within your hands. 

Now today is the first day of 2014. How are you going to spend it? Are you going to lay in bed and think about this message, or are you going to jump, get out of bed, and get going. Start working. Start building for yourself the future you want. You have so much potential - don't waste a single second. 

Want to go a step further? 

I think a child understands how his life changes over the course of a year. A life-learned adult understands how his life changes over the course of a day. But few are those who understands that their lives change with every passing second. These men step closer to their goal with each decision they make - these men are the leaders of the world.  

I get SO many people who write to me telling me how lucky or fortunate I am to be traveling the world at my age. How lucky or fortunate I am to be experiencing what I am experiencing or doing what I am doing. But this is not true at all. Luck and fortune have nothing to do with it. I am traveling the world simply because I want to travel the world - because with every decision I've made over the past year I've made with my definite goal in mind. I am becoming who I want to become and accomplishing what I want to accomplish simply because I move towards my goals with every decision I make. 

So set your goals. Don't let your peers, parents, or social norms stop you. Do what YOU want to do and I promise you - the world is yours.