Joanna and I will be traveling to Cambodia, where I served an LDS mission. As a missionary living among the Cambodian people I wanted so badly to do anything to help them. However, we were not allowed to help them monetarily. Most families live in extreme poverty, without any of the comforts we take for granted. Our goal is to give away items that can improve the lives of individuals in some way, even if it is small. We have thought a long time about the things that we could give away that would benefit them the most. We will be giving away clothing, rice, and bicycles.
We have made contact with an organization in Phnom Penh, the capital, that helps children living in the city landfill. We are very excited about this because they have offered their aid in the form of transportation and coordination of our efforts. Through their help, we will use donations to purchase clothing and rice to clothe and feed up to the 400 kids living in the dump, as many as we can help. This area of Phnom Penh is the poorest area in the country. Kids and adults pick through the trash to find metal and plastic bits to sell for a few cents.
In addition, we will also be purchasing bicycles to give to families in need. A bike in Cambodia costs about $35, and can dramatically impact a family’s life. For example, a man can get to a job miles away, a woman can go to the market, and a child can go to school. Without any other means of transportation besides walking, a bicycle can open up many doors for people. While it may be simple and small scale, we would like to give back to this beautiful country and its people.
If you would like to help us in our goal, please donate any amount of money that you would like. Every bit helps and is very appreciated. We will be taking video and pictures of the families that we help. Thank you in advance for helping those who need it most!
To donate, click the “Donate” button in the upper right corner of this blog. This will allow you to enter funds directly into a Paypal account we have set up to receive donations. You do not need a Paypal account to donate. Just enter any amount you would like to contribute. If you choose to donate, please do so by August 5th.
All donations will go directly to purchasing the items mentioned above.
Thank you! -James and Joanna
