Most of the work we do at Let’s Build a School is focused on the school community as a whole, with a focus on supporting some of the poorest students.  As we work closely with the community, there are times when we come across individual situations that need special support.

Srey Touch was part of the Girls Be Ambitious program through World Assistance for Cambodia and was supported by a sponsor to stay in school, which she did under great hardship, much to her credit. She has now finished high school and has started a family of her own, with a wonderful home. Her courage and determination is remarkable.

When we visit the schools in Cambodia, we make a special effort to visit the sponsored children, to check in and see how they are doing. It’s not just the financial support the children receive (which is critical) but the emotional support. They know that as part of the program, there are people looking out for them and care about their lives, and there is a community supporting them to succeed.

While visiting the girls I went to Srey Touch’s house. House is probably not the most appropriate word for the shelter she and her sister lived in. If it was a shed in our backyard, we’d tear it down and certainly would not have anyone enter it for fear of injury. This is where she lived, through heavy rain and the darkness of the night. No protection from the rain, and no protection from the dangers that two girls living alone in the countryside might face. It was not safe.

There are certainly many girls living like Srey Touch and her sister in Cambodia and around the world. We could not walk away knowing what we could do about her situation and not try to do something to help her.

Not only was she very poor but she and her sister were isolated. Their mother died when they were in their early teens and their father essentially abandoned them when he remarried. They rarely see him. Their situation was extremely vulnerable without the support and protection of family members. They had nobody to rely on except themselves, but we wanted them to know that they can rely on others to help them out and get them on their feet, and support them in their fight against poverty and lack of opportunity.

Srey Touch and her sister saved some money to start purchasing wood to build a new house, so they were doing what they could, but it would take them years to come up with enough money to build even a very basic home.

We contacted a local carpenter and received a generous quote to build Srey Touch and her sister a new, safe home. The cost was $2800USD. We were able to raise the funds to proceed with the project and provide a safe home for Srey Touch and her sister.

Please help us spread the word and share the video with friends and family. We are only able to do the work we do with the generous donations of our supporters. If you’d like to see more projects like this done in the community, please consider donating.