Annie Wilson - Project Founder | In-Country Director

When I was young I always felt I wanted to help the poor and underprivileged. When I finished high school I decided to train as a nurse with the vision of going to a developing country to help where possible. This dream was put aside while I married and had children but was reignited after my husband passed away.

I decided to move to Cambodia to volunteer and give my life to help find ways of creating and providing opportunities to help students with attaining vital education in this generation that would in turn make a difference in Cambodia‘s future.

Students that successfully graduate could then make valuable contributions to their communities. By providing tertiary education it enables each student the ability to support their families and to be more productive giving back to society. This will break the cycle of poverty .

Life is ‘real’ here. And every day is valuable. Having originally intended to volunteer for 6 months, I have now been here 11 years - I just can't bring myself to leave. There's so much need and so much I can contribute to improving people’s lives.

My eyes and heart have been opened to one of the poorest countries in the world. It’s overwhelming and everyone is affected. The country is still recovering from its tragic past of genocide during Pol Pot’s regime in the 1970s.

Countless numbers of children were left orphaned by the Khmer Rouge and the subsequent HIV epidemic. But many of these children were rescued and now have opportunities they would never have had otherwise.

Making those opportunities count for the youth of Cambodia is what our work is all about. Named ‘Aroha Project’ with the goal to bring practical love to the youth of Cambodia. (‘Aroha’ means love in New Zealand’s native language, Maori).

I'm witnessing cycles of poverty, illiteracy and neglect being broken every day.

With the generosity of our sponsors and supporters, Aroha Project Cambodia supports children, young people and families through three core areas: our Education Centre, university scholarship program and community support. Our Education Centre gives children a welcoming place to learn and grow, while our scholarships help young adults pursue university education and their goals for the future. Through community support, we offer practical care to families and individuals facing hardship. At the heart of our work are lasting relationships, love and compassion, and the hope that each person we walk alongside has the opportunity to thrive.

Over the last 11 years we have had the privilege to mentor, guide, encourage and walk alongside many underprivileged and orphaned youth.

The money raised here will allow us to directly assist the youth to live and study in this home and also assist our surrounding community. We can't all be here 'physically' but you can be here through the Aroha Project.