CAMBODIA

LOCATION: SIEM REAP, CAMBODIA

FOCUS: Wildlife Conservation, Street Animals, and Local Schools!

LOCAL PARTNERS: The Angkor Center for Conservation for Biodiversity, Paw Patrol Cambodia, and my taxi driver - Mr. Chan!

TOTAL DONATED: $17,300.00 for turtle and ibis enclosures and conservation sanctuary, to spay and neuter street dogs and cats, and for school supplies for multiple villages!

Being in Siem Reap marked a few things for me - it's where my journey with world aid began, and it's the first stop on this trip that I had no idea where I was going to help or what I was going to do before I got there... I wanted to come back and start fresh - in true guerrilla aid fashion!

CAMBODIA - ONE OF MY FAVORITE PLACES

I first came to Cambodia in 2004, on a random adventure to check out Angkor after hearing Angelina Jolie say how amazing it was. She made it seem other worldly, and even with that in my head - it exceeded all my expecations.

While I was at Bayon Temple near Angkor Wat, I met a group of monks caring for some orphaned boys, and I became obsessed about helping that little community. This picture was taken that day, and what started as a simple project of school supplies and soccer balls in a village in Cambodia, turned my life into something more beautiful than I ever thought possible.

So, when I came back I knew I was going to the Bayon Temple to do something similar to that project in 2005, but I also wanted to do something more substantial. After a quick google search, I found a local coffee shop and asked the cute Australian owner David if he had any ideas on where I could help or volunteer. He pointed to some drawings on the wall of some animals - all different species of animals highlighted at a local conservation center about an hour outside of town. "I love the ACCB," he said, "would you like the director's number?" YES, I would!

ANGKOR CENTER FOR CONSERVATION FOR BIODIVERSITY (ACCB):  $7,750

I called the ACCB, and as luck would have it, they needed an extra set of hands for a few weeks! I went back day after day, helping find turtles in ponds, and working with the head of turtle conservation, Srey Mom, weighing, measuring, and checking out each turtle. I was a regular Jim Fowler!

I worked mostly with the Giant Asian Pond Turtle and Yellow-headed Temple Turtle. These species are near extinction, and this breeding program is helping bring them back from the brink - REMARKABLE! I'd never done anything like that before, and being around all these smart conservationists made me feel like scientist for a few days - grabbing turtles and making notes on my clipboard!

Seriously, this is such a beautiful group doing amazing work - what a gift it was to work with them! You can learn more about them on their facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/ACCBCambodia and it reinforced to me that sometimes even the most amazing organizations can use a set of hands!

I was able to make a donation to help with the construction of a new enclosure for the White Shouldered Ibis, as well as new enclosures for the Giant Asian Pond Turtle and Yellow-headed Temple Turtle! More specifically, this is what I got back from the director regarding the work I was able to support!

"Your generous contribution will directly fund the White-shouldered Ibis breeding facility at ACCB. This project aims to increase the number of separation enclosures, enhancing the safety and breeding success of this Critically Endangered species. You are helping to ensure that the facility's construction is completed to the highest standards, allowing us to provide optimal conditions for the White-shouldered Ibis and contribute significantly to their conservation."

"Your donation will be essential in building the new enclosures for the critically endangered Giant Asian Pond Turtle and Yellow-headed Temple Turtle at ACCB. These new enclosures will not only improve the welfare of these species but also enhance our conservation breeding program, which aims to eventually introduce captive-bred and head-started individuals into the wild. Your support is vital to the success of this project, which addresses the urgent need for additional space to accommodate our growing assurance population.

***I love making a donation where I've actually seen all the nuts and bolts. I saw the unfinished enclosures first hand, and trust this organization completely to do exactly what they said they'd do with my donation. I couldn't recommend them more!

PUPPIES!!!

PAW PATROL CAMBODIA:  $7,500

I had a few extra days, so I did another google search for animal sanctuaries, and up popped the instagram of "Paw Patrol Cambodia." I reached out to Jen saying I was free if she needed help, and lo and behold, she did!

Paw Patrol Cambodia is a lovely small organization that works around Siem Reap at the temples and pagodas, because many stray cats and dogs congregate there, and are generally cared for by the community. Great, yes, but there are many issues - as there is a lack of education on nutrition (dogs being fed peppers and onions), as well as so many unwanted pregnancies and more litters of puppies to be cared for.

Paw Patrol Cambodia raises money to spay and neuter these dogs and cats, but can never keep up with demand or all the vet bills - but they keep plowing forward. For my two days with them, we ran around to different pagodas (after I got my official volunteer shirt), checking the welfare of the dogs and providing rice and dry food. This was a dreamy day for me - running around the pagodas, playing with dogs and loving on puppies (especially little Stella in the picture)? HEAVEN.

I was so fortunate to be able to provide a donation to run their spay and neuter clinic for four weekends, and a little extra for food! Then I had a donor agree to get 5 at risk puppies to new homes in America!

If you are in Siem Reap, please reach out to Jen and tell her I sent you!

Go and volunteer with Paw Patrol Cambodia for a day - after you make a donation... ;-).

Please follow them on social media and donate to her! https://www.instagram.com/paw_patrol_cambodia/

LOCAL SCHOOLS:  $2,050

Alright, nothing against puppies or wildlife conservation, but this part of of my volunteer journey in Cambodia filled my heart the very most.

Nearly 20 years ago, I came back to Cambodia as a very naive but well-meaning volunteer. The year earlier when I was there, the monks said that the young orphan boys being taken of by the community needed school supplies and money for food for them. I'd also noticed them kicking around a ball of tape as a make-shift soccer ball, so wanted to get them that as well. I raised money for supplies, my travel, food money, and UCLA Atheletic Dept. donated soccer balls - which I carried half way across the world. It was small, simple, but filled them (and me) with enormous joy.

That small project sparked a fire in me, and I created years of global aid projects based on that simple experience.

SO... When I came back to Siem Reap, I wanted build on that experience, and went back to the pagoda by Temple Bayon. Shockingly, one of the older guys actually remembered me from 20 years ago, which of course got me crying!

But, I composed myself and asked him what was needed, and he gave me a list for all the kids in the community. Luckily, I had my amazing guide/taxi driver/friend Mr. Chan help me fill the entire list. We went to a local shop for all the school supplies, got what was needed, and that's when I let Mr. Chan I had bigger plans.

"Dream big!" I told him. "Think of every school you know, or kids in communities you know, whoever you know that needs help with back to school supplies, and let's get them what they need!" You could see the wheels start turning in his mind, as he started making phone call after phone call - friends, teachers, heads of schools...

All in all, we filled his taxi four times - overflowing with supplies for everyone he could think of, including him stopping on the side of the road each time he saw kids that could use some help.

It was these days that were the best for me - driving around with an SUV full of supplies where a taxi driver became a community philanthropist every day, as I tried to stay out of sight in the back seat.

Yeah, this is why I'm out here doing this - and again, Cambodia is where my heart soared the highest.