The Cambodian Village Fund began as a simple gesture of generosity: The gift of a bicycle to a village that had no transportation. But what started as a small gift, turned into a fund to help uplift a community in Cambodia’s rural countryside.
Curated content from Fast Co. Exist
When Bill and Nancy Bamberger from San Diego first visited Cambodia as tourists in 2002, they were struck by its long history, the warmth of its people, and the devastation that was still evident from long years of violence and neglect. A whole generation of educated people had been killed or fled the violence of the Khmer Rouge, holding back the growth of Cambodia today. To help reverse that trend, the Bambergers created the Cambodian Village Fund, supporting education in the rural village of Kaun Khlong.
The Bambergers’ 40th anniversary was approaching soon after they returned to San Diego, when Nancy talked with her new hairdresser Chanra Chheum, who was born in Cambodia and had come to the U.S. as a teenager to escape the violence. Chanra had recently visited Kaun Khlong, where she still had family, and had bought a bike for the village for $40. There was little transportation there other than walking, and a simple measure like a bike could make a difference for many. “People in the village could share it. Kids could go to school and people could do little errands,” said Bill when I talked with him. Forty dollars, 40th anniversary; it was a sign. For their anniversary, Bill and Nancy decided to buy the village a second bike. Continue Reading at Fast Co. Exist…
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