Tola received the phone call none of us ever want to get; his house was in flames. With its thatched roof and latticed walls, the home was far from what we in the west would consider comfortable. But for Tola, his family and the  guests they would host to make ends meet (the family literally sleeps out of doors when HomeAway guests come to stay), an electrical fire destroyed it in minutes.  The family arrived home to see their already meager possessions reduced to ashes. They cried with disbelief, only calming when their two cats returned unharmed.


There are times in our life when a tragedy in someone else's life reminds us of our own good fortune. Case in point, our dear friend Tola. We met him while visiting in Cambodia. He was our tuk tuk driver and the manager of the performing troupe, Landmine Survivors Cambodia.  Our return visit provided us with the opportunity to help to re-stage the performances of the landmine-effected troupe for a western audience and launch their website.  http://www.landminesurvivorscambodia.org/ 
Though that work was completed, we continued our relationship with Tola and his family, providing some support for his three kid's schooling, the building of their home and simply remaining friends.

In our world $5,000 wouldn't even cover the insurance deductible of a tragedy of this magnitude, but in Tola's village in Cambodia, it could literally restore them to their previous lifestyle. That would include tuitions for the kid's schooling (education is much less expensive there, with teachers paid directly), uniforms, the home structure itself and its contents, including beds, etc.

There are certainly no shortage of worthy causes out there but the nature of disaster is relative, as are the remedies. In this case five lives have been burned to cinders and a handful of donations, no matter how small, would go a long way toward resurrecting them.

Whether you can throw in $5, $10 or more, everything counts. Rest assured, this will be the furthest your small donation will ever go.