History

This Life Cambodia was started in December 2007 while I was working for a large charity in Siem Reap. In September 2007 members of a community who had amazing dreams approached me. They wanted to start an extracurricular school in their village. I told them to come back to me when they had something to show. The community did in December 2007. Members of the community had built two classrooms out of thatching and had 200 students enrolled to study extracurricular activities; classes had already started. My initial thoughts were great; I can write a project proposal for the organisation, which would then open up further prospects for development for the centre. This is where it all started.

At the same time I had a chance conversation with a local boy I’d known for some time. I’d just assumed that he was attending school, but when I asked him what he wanted to be when he was older, he replied: “Next life I would like to be a doctor”. When I queried why he couldn’t be a doctor in this life, he said: “This life, I have no hope. I had to drop out of school two years ago in grade six.”

He went on to explain that his family was so poor they couldn’t afford to support his education and, in fact, they couldn’t even provide him with food and shelter. He had therefore felt obliged to move away and live in a pagoda so that his family had one less mouth to feed. He also thought he might be able to learn much from the monks. Our conversation continued, with him explaining that education in Cambodia is a huge expense for poor families, as they must pay for pens and pencils, books and uniforms, and having a bicycle to get to school is essential, especially in the more rural areas. And even if a family can manage those expenses, they are also expected to contribute to teachers’ salaries as the government cannot afford to pay them a living wage. I couldn’t let go of the fact that this boy, who clearly had huge potential, might never get the opportunity to finish his education. So many questions filled my head, and I needed answers!

This Life Cambodia was later formed, as it was apparent that communities and small grass roots organisations needed more than just a project proposal; there was also a need for capacity building and training and there were no organisations in Siem Reap who offered these services. I also decided that I would try and help this child and others in similar situations to get an education and fulfil their dreams. Local communities are the experts when it comes to identifying practical ways to achieve improvements in their daily lives, and many hold an abundance of ideas for a better Cambodia. Working side by side with such communities, listening to their insights and acting on their input, we have developed the This Life Cambodia approach to sustainable development, and its working!

Billy Gorter,
Founder and Director