What’s News – April 2023
These are the faces of Cambodia!
Last month I had the privilege of visiting these beautiful people for the first time and was blown away. A country recovering from a tumultuous past, Phnom Penh is a city of contrasts where the past and present coexist in a palpable way. Experiencing growth at such a rate, the city is struggling to keep up. Cambodia remains one of the poorest countries in SE Asia due to deep-rooted corruption, high-income inequality and a lack of healthcare, education and basic infrastructure for many.
Cambodia ranks 146 on the Human Development Index. (Australia is 5)
This is why we choose to work here, alongside these beautiful people, enabling hope in hard places. But we do not do it alone. We are not the experts here and we are definitely not the heroes. We work alongside five local organisations in Cambodia and my visit took me to three, in and around the capital city.
These partners are locals who long to see their fellow Cambodians flourish and freed from poverty and oppression. This visit impressed upon me that the strength of our work comes from the quality and commitment of our partners on the ground. Many of those working now, benefitted from these organisations when they were younger and have returned to give back and enable the next generation to thrive.
I visited projects that are working to combat human trafficking, provide water, sanitation and hygiene education and education programs that aim to keep kids in school longer, opening up their future opportunities.
Our work is relational rather than relief (although occasionally relief is necessary). We want to encourage long-term community building and self-sufficiency, rather than individual dependency. Our local partners understand the complex issues specific to their people and communities. They realise how complicated the interactions are between social, economic and political factors.
Beyond providing funding, Entrust is here to support, listen, gain a deeper understanding, mentor, challenge and guide them as they navigate these paths. With over 60 years collective experience, Entrust has much to bring to the table, but we also have much to learn.
On behalf of Entrust and our partners around the world, thank you so much for your support and generous hearts. Together, we enable hope in these hard places as we gain a deeper understanding of the complexities of life for them.
With heartfelt thanks
Sarah (for the Entrust Foundation)
