SHARING FOUNDATION

The Children's Center is a home for over 70 children whose families are no longer able to support them due to death, incarceration or extreme poverty. The center was opened in 2000 to help improve the lives of children who would otherwise be living in government or poorly run orphanages. The Sharing foundation brought a new standard of hygiene, medical services, nutrition, and compassionate care to institutionalized children. Today's focus is on educating these children and preparing them for independent living, whether through education or vocational training. Repatriating children with family members is also a priority when possible.

Knowing English can be a great advantage when trying to find work in Cambodia. The Sharing Foundation offers daily English classes in two communities. The Roteang school is attended by about 450 junior high and high school students after their regular school hours, five days a week. Taught by 10 carefully selected bilingual Cambodians, for whom we also provide ongoing teacher training, the students are eager to learn English and many have formed study groups that meet on weekend mornings. The other community served by our English Program is in a remote area accessible by ferry on the Mekong River in a town called Beng Krom. It is harder to get teachers here, but we have two and they teach over 200 students.

In 2004, the Foundation created a high school sponsorship program. Donors make high school attendance with quality instruction possible for nearly 60 needy students a year.

In 2005, The Sharing Foundation made it possible for the sponsored high school students to attend colleges in the capital city of Phnom Penh. If the high school students are able to pass the National High School Graduation exams then the Foundation provides tuition, room, board, furnishings, books, bicycles, medical care and uniforms in a safe and caring environment while they attend university.

All sponsored students must write to their sponsors 3 or 4 times a year. This helps them to learn English and also creates a relationship that can motivate the student and inspire the sponsor. Sponsors must write in return.

Over 80 young adults have graduated from university thanks to our sponsorship programs.

Kampong Speu is a government run orphanage about 1-1/2 hours outside of Phnom Penh. The orphanage is very similar in population to ours, with about 70 children, mostly teenagers.
When we first met them, Kampong Speu was desperate for help to feed, house and clothe their children. The Sharing Foundation contributes to their annual budget, immunizes the children, and provides many capital improvements. We continue to provide support in the form of maintenance and funds dedicated to salaries for nannies and cooking fuel.
Some of the Kampond Speu children have made it into our University Sponsorship program.

The Sharing Foundation supports villages where we see need and have found trusted Cambodian partners, often in the form of the school principal. We have built toilets and water tanks, libraries and playgrounds. We bring uniforms on a regular basis and have immunized villages that requested it. We repair buildings, supply books, and generally help where the need is greatest. Our latest village support was in Mondulkiri, a remote town now accessible from a new road. They had built a school for their children but had trouble paying for teachers. The Sharing Foundation has provided salaries for two teachers.