In January of 2025 myself and 3 friends visited Mr Sok in Siem Reap, Cambodia. This was our first stop on our travelling journey and we aimed to stay for around 3 weeks and teach the children in his community. We had a brief idea about what Mr Sok does including building his own orphanage school just outside the city and providing food for his local community of children.

However, upon arrival at Mr Sok’s home, we found that the living conditions of his community and the neighbouring houses is extremely poor. Most of the children who we taught from his front garden were living in metal shacks, most (if not all of them) sharing just one bed with all their siblings and extended family. They are surviving on a small amount of food, meaning most of the children look much younger than they actually are.

Therefore, it became clear quite quickly that Mr Sok is a vital part of these children’s lives; providing daily food and a place to socialise other than their homes.

On the 27th May I arrived in Siem Reap again to visit Mr Sok and teach the children for a few more weeks. This is when I was informed about Mr Sok’s new living situation. In March, Mr Sok was forced out of his home by property developers who are now building a completely different property on top of it for the rich Khmer people to live in. As a man who relies solely on donations because his tour business has not seen any customers in months, Mr Sok had no choice but to leave his home and rent another house at the end of the street in order to still help the children in the surrounding area. This means his rent has increased from $80 to $300 a month.

This rent, combined with keeping a orphanage school and library running, as well as feeding his own and adopted children and the children that come to him on a daily basis (upwards of 10 kids) is not sustainable .

Any money donated is greatly appreciated, as even saving just one months rent for him would mean a great deal. These children and families deserve better and helping Mr Sok is just a small stepping stone to helping them have a brighter future and healthy childhood.

Mr Sok’s story:

He was born in 1980 on a farm, 70 kilometers out of Siem Reap, into a very poor family. When he was three months old, his father and his brother and sister were killed by the Khmer Rouge, as part of Pol Pot's regime. Later, his mother died when he was 10 years old. He stayed in the village with relatives but virtually fended for himself. He had to work with little food and no schooling from them. He became one of the begging children in the street markets around the city struggling to live. He left the village to join a monastery which saved his life and turned it around. Here he was able to receive some schooling and find a job working (without a salary) in a restaurant for five years. The owner only wanted English speaking workers for his business. Eventually, on a wage of $35/month he managed to save enough to buy a motor scooter and was able to earn a little more money picking up tourists from the airport and taking them for a tour of the temples. The extra money enabled him to then complete high school and university with diligent application. In 2006 he took the examination to become an official tour guide in the Siem Reap province. While working as a tour guide he met many tourists from around the world who became good friends and who were touched by Sok's story and the poverty of the orphaned children they saw around Siem Reap. They were able to invest in Sok's orphanage dream and his life changed again. All of them saw everywhere around Siem Reap, abandoned children with no food, no clean water, no education nor any reason for hope. Nor any possibility of changing their lives except with the right kind of help. After they returned from a heart touching trip in Cambodia, these good friends, who were living all around the world, resolved to raise money from family and friends to help Sok realize his vision to provide help and opportunities for others; the same way he had received help when he most needed it. They helped him set up the Sok Cambodian Children's orphanage and installed him as the Director of the Sok Cambodian Orphanage Foundation. The initial aim of the foundation was to bring in children from the surrounding Siem Reap neighborhoods to teach them English, other languages and computer skills as well as to learn their own traditional Cambodian culture and history. All the children would also go to a nearby public government school every day. The orphanage is now established and working to help the children but needs the continuing generosity of passing tourists who happen find out about it and who volunteer their efforts and give donations to sustain this wonderful work. A trip to the orphanage and a little time with these children is enough to see the enormous possibility of how a little help lifts their glowing spirits.