Donate to Save Chorda's Family and Legacy

Hope on the Horizon: An Update on Chorda’s Journey

Dear friends and supporters,

This is an important and heartfelt update on the campaign to help Chorda and his family. Many of you have come to know and care for them through the original video, and I want to thank you deeply for the kindness and generosity you've already shown.

Unfortunately, there’s been a hard turn in the road. The family’s current home, the AirBnB they’ve poured their hearts into, will be lost to the bank. Due to a predatory loan with brutal interest rates and hidden fees, Chorda faces a balloon payment of over $200,000.00 when the contract ends in August 2029. Realistically, there's no way he’ll be able to make that payment. In truth, the bank could repossess the property at any time between now and then.

These types of exploitative loans have devastated countless families across Cambodia. The pandemic only made things worse. Much worse.

But here’s the part where hope breaks through the clouds. Together, we’ve already raised $3,435.00 (after fees), enough for Chorda to make a down payment on a new piece of land where a dream can begin to grow.

This land will be a fresh start, a permanent sanctuary for his family. On it, he’ll build a simple bamboo home, a few eco-tourism bungalows, and a flourishing garden of fruit trees, herbs, and vegetables. Picture chickens scratching in the soil, kids running freely, and Grandma working her magic in an open-air kitchen, cooking meals straight from the land. Most importantly, the land will be paid in full and placed in the names of Grandma and Mongkol, safe from the reach of the bank.

We’re just $1,565.00 away from making this dream a reality.

This land costs $5,000.00 total, so much more attainable, and sustainable, than trying to save the AirBnB. While I once hoped we could raise $25,000.00 to secure everything at once, I now realize that step by step, we can still build something lasting and beautiful.

If Chorda is lucky enough to hold onto the AirBnB through this next tourist season, the income from that can be used to build the bamboo home, plant the land, and set up eco-bungalows to share his family’s way of life with travelers looking for a meaningful experience. He will also continue renting a small nearby plot of land for his growing chicken and egg business.

This new land means security, stability, and a future without fear, no longer living under the threat of homelessness.

To show you how far he’s already come, I’ve included new footage of Chorda expanding his chicken farm. From where it started to where it is now, it’s truly inspiring. He is one of the hardest-working people I know, and his progress is a testament to that spirit.

So I’m asking you again, with all my heart, please help us close this final gap. Every dollar counts. Every "share" matters. If you can’t donate, please spread the word. Post to your social media, tell your friends and family. The finish line is in sight, and we are so close.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you to all who have given and supported this campaign so far. You are changing lives.

With deepest gratitude and hope,

– Dave

* If you feel more comfortable sending a check, please contact me and I will ensure your donation is deposited and provide confirmation.

- Original Post Below -

Help Chorda Chang Build a Sustainable Future for His Family

My name is Dave Angelescu, and I just spent four life-changing months living with the most beautiful family I’ve ever met, Chorda Chang and his loved ones in Siem Reap, Cambodia.

What started as a trip to film the ancient Khmer temples and document Cambodia’s rich spiritual heritage soon became something far more personal. Within days, I realized the true gift of this journey wasn’t the temples, it was Chorda and his family, and the deep love, resilience, and joy they embody every day.

I was welcomed not as a guest, but as family.

Meet Chorda

Chorda is the kind of person who would give the shirt off his back to help a stranger, and I’ve seen him do exactly that. Whether giving his tuk-tuk to another struggling driver, or paying out of pocket for guests who skip out on their bills, his kindness knows no bounds. He lives by example, works tirelessly, and never complains, even when life gets brutally hard.

And it has been hard.

Before COVID, Chorda built a small AirBnB and rented farmland to start his dream of sustainable farming, raising free-range chickens, ducks, growing fruit, herbs, eggs, and vegetables with no chemicals, no shortcuts. He was on a path toward self-reliance and legacy.

Then, COVID hit. Tourism collapsed. Loan interest rates skyrocketed. And now, years later, Cambodia is still struggling to recover, and Chorda is at risk of losing everything. He still owes the bank, and if he can’t catch up, he and his family will lose the land and the AirBnB that sustains them.

The Dream

But out of this hardship, a powerful vision has emerged.

Chorda’s dream is to own a piece of land that can never be taken away, where he can farm, live sustainably, and finally give his beloved mother-in-law her first real home after surviving the horrors of the Khmer Rouge era. She is an incredible woman and a legendary cook in Siem Reap. She will teach cooking classes, run the kitchen, and be part of something greater, something healing.

His wife Lyta, who currently works long nights at a food cart, will finally have time to be with their son Mongkol. Mongkol, their bright and beautiful boy, deserves a stress-free life filled with love, learning, and the space to chase his dreams.

The land will grow bamboo, banana, mango, cashew, herbs, vegetables, and yes, chili peppers and chickens. A moat will be dug around the property just like Angkor Wat to raise fish. Eco-bungalows will host guests, and every meal will come from the land itself. It’s not just a dream, it’s a self-sustaining legacy.

Why We Need Your Help

Before I left, I gave Chorda $1,000.00 to help with the current AirBnB repairs and support them through the off-season, but it’s not enough. I simply can’t do this alone.

We’re asking for $25,000.00 to:

• Help to start paying off the bank loan to protect the family from foreclosure

• Purchase land for a permanent, secure homestead

• Build a bamboo house for Grandma, a kitchen, and start the farm

• Begin construction of eco-bungalows for long-term sustainability

You’ll get to watch this vision come to life, Chorda will post regular video updates of the farm, the construction, the gardens, and the joy it brings. You’ll be part of something real, something beautiful, something that will uplift not just one family, but an entire community.

If you’ve ever stayed with Chorda and his family… if you’ve ever felt that warmth, that hospitality, that smile… then you already know what’s at stake.

Let’s give back to someone who has given so much to so many.

Please donate what you can, and share this campaign with friends, family, and anyone else with a big heart (or big pockets) who care. Even the smallest contributions help build a better life for Chorda, for Lyta, for Grandma, and for little Mongkol.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart,

Dave Angelescu

PS. Please feel free to also follow my story of Chorda and his family and our times together and the build progress on:

FaceBook link: FaceBook

YouTube link: YouTube

* No raffles, sweepstakes, giveaways, or promotions are offered in exchange for any donations made to this GoFundMe campaign. *