Small Change - Big Difference : Hope International
This is the first in a series of blog posts highlighting the good work done for people in need by organizations H2Only helps support.
We have partnered with Hope International since 2002, specifically with their project installing wells in Cambodia. Kim Ly, the organizer/ administrator for this particular project, has been at our home for dinner... she is a truly inspiring individual!
The text below is from an email that was sent to us by Hope recently, and features Kim's story. Enjoy, and maybe you'll be moved to join us in supporting Hope's work around the world.
"The biggest gift in my life is seeing people go from no hope to non-stop hope as they make better lives."
Ly Kim, HOPE Development Cambodia
In the past two decades Ly Kim and her team have reached more than 50,000 people, supporting their efforts to build better days and permanently step out the extreme poverty that is so prevalent in Cambodia's Pursat province of 500,000 people.
We celebrate Ly, her team and the equally determined families who have transformed their lives and villages.
Finding a Way
Ly knows heartache and struggle. She also knows hope. Ly lost her entire family to the ravages of civil war and the brutality of the Khmer Rouge who murdered millions of people in Cambodia.
"As a child, I remember trekking through the mountains and thinking to myself, I can't go on. It's too hard," says Ly recalling fleeing to Pursat from her home village.
Ly summoned the will to carry on and today she uses her lived experience to help families in Pursat summon the will to transform their lives.
An incredible force for good, Ly and her team continue doing what they've done for more than two decades - ride their little motor scooters to remote villages throughout Pursat seeking out families needing help to achieve their dream of becoming free from poverty.
Ahead of Her Time
HOPE has been working in Cambodia for more than two decades. Early on, Ly and her team realized that while short-term help was crucial, initiatives that build resilience and leverage the strengths of people offer the best hope of permanently exiting extreme poverty.
50,000 people show what's possible. The proof that Ly's approach to community transformation works is seen all around Pursat province today in the lives and ongoing accomplishments of the more than 50,000 people who have built better lives in partnership with Ly and her team.
"One of the most exciting things we see is multiple generations within families transformed," says Ly.
An example would be clean water. When a family gains access to clean water near their home it starts a massive transformation. "Within a year, people have good health, an abundance of food from their own vegetable gardens, children are in school and there's enough income to meet the families needs and more. The next generation and the one after continue living with hope, not poverty," says Ly.
Clean water and health
- 1,607 dug wells are providing a sustainable source of clean water
- 85 deep wells are providing clean water to communities
- 1,300 latrines are helping families manage their personal hygiene and keeping women and children in a safe setting
Food Security
- More than 37 villages are growing abundant supplies of dry season rice
- 653 animal banks are supporting sustainable agriculture that's producing a reliable food supply and income for families
- Nearly 50 kilometres of new roads keep families and communities connected and supporting all aspects of building better lives
Livelihood and Education
- 53 school buildings have been constructed, providing a safe and encouraging learning environment for thousands of children
- Nearly 600 women's self-help groups are providing training for women and supporting their efforts, through financial literacy and microloans, to establishing small businesses that provide a reliable income for their families
For more information about this excellent organization, visit the Hope International website
