Please help these orphans keep their home!

Hi friends and family, I’ve had the amazing opportunity to volunteer at ASPIRE training and education this past month in Siem Reap Cambodia. I want to share with you a bit about my experience these past 30 days at this very special place.

ASPIRE is a school and home for poor, homeless and orphaned children. The owner and founder, Sean, started this non-profit school in 2012 in hopes of providing free education to children. He built the orphanage and school from the ground up with help from sponsors and donations. Prior to COVID, there were over 100 kids studying English for free here all while providing 24 hour care to the 20 children that lived in the orphanage. However, since COVID they have lost all their sponsors and barely have means to look after the 20 kids that currently live on the property. They are struggling financially to keep a roof over the children's head.

Not only does ASPIRE focus on teaching the students English but they also believe in preserving the Khmer culture. Every night the students are taught traditional dancing, singing and how to play musical instruments. This encourages the students to embrace the knowledge of local Khmer customs so it is not lost in future generations. They aim to educate the children both socially and academically.

Sean has the biggest heart and truly wants to help everyone he can. He and his family grew up very poor living off just a couple dollars a day. He worked on a farm to put himself through secondary school and university. He wanted to continue his education and learn English. He worked 13 hour days in a factory to save for his English course. With his new education and the help of a sponsor he was able to find work at an NGO. He worked voluntarily and in return he received food and accommodation. Sean received help in a time when he desperately needed it and now he wants to give back to others and give them the same opportunities he received.

Since being here I have seen first hand how these beautiful children live. When there is no money coming in, there is no food to eat. The power might be cut because the electric bills cannot be paid. About halfway through my volunteering a single mother and her 5 children were abandoned by the father and they were left with no place to stay. Sean, being the amazing human he is, took them in and now has 6 more mouths to feed. Sean does everything he can for the orphanage but sadly his everything just isn’t enough. I have sat with Sean night after night as he fears that he might lose the orphanage if his loans from the bank cannot be paid off.

The teacher, Neat, is his sister and teaches the children for 6 hours a day out of the goodness of her heart. There is no money to pay her and she has her own family to care for too….she is a superhero. There would be no school without this incredible woman.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this. If you are able to make a donation big or small you will be changing their lives. They work so hard day in and day out just to better the children’s lives. A little for us goes so far for them. Please give these children the opportunity to continue their education in a place they can call home. ❤️

I’ve attached the link to their website if you want to learn more about ASPIRE! http://www.aspirecambodia-edu.org