Summer 2025
Dear family, friends and supporters,
I am sitting at the airport in Kuala Lumpur on my way home to New Zealand for Christmas (via Perth for 5 days) and am feeling so blessed. I thought I could send you all a little update and some thoughts before the year ends.
As we move through to the summer season, I’m excited to share an update from the last three months here in Cambodia. It has been a time of meaningful progress across our three main areas of focus: our Education Centre, our Scholarship Program, and our Community Support projects.
Education Centre
Our Education Centre continues to be a place full of life, learning, and opportunity. Our big challenge is we have recently had to move houses as the landlord was selling… (we remain in the same community) it’s taken a month but we are finally settling in and have even more children coming. We have added another room for computer classes as we were bursting at the seams :)
There are a lot of additional resources we need for the centre now that it’s growing again but most urgent needs include some desks and a whiteboard if anyone can help?
We are now located in the village right next to the rubbish collection depot. A poorer community. Many of the children and families come to the centre just to receive food but hopefully this will lead them to come to some classes and hopefully find a better future.
Over the past three months:
We moved house!
We welcomed new students and deepened our learning programs.
The classrooms have been filled with curiosity, creativity, and steady growth.
We hosted potential sponsors twice which was really wholesome.
Sometimes putting into words what we do is so hard but when people come to see the project we’re so excited they can see the impact first hand. They had the chance to meet our students, see how the centre operates, and experience the heart behind what we do. Their encouragement was a wonderful reminder of the impact this space is creating daily.
The centre remains a bright, hopeful hub in our community.
I’m so grateful to share that 10 months of our 12-month calendar have already been sponsored — thank you for the incredible support. We still have two months remaining, and each month can be sponsored individually. If you’d like to be part of this journey and support the work we’re doing, sponsoring a month is a simple and meaningful way to help.
Scholarships
Our scholarship program has been a major focus too this season. It’s the start of the new academic year here so we have many applications for scholarships and part scholarships. We are working toward raising $3,000 to support students who otherwise wouldn’t have access to ongoing education. We have many students anxiously waiting for a sponsor. Could you help with a monthly amount to give a child a chance?
Our current students are thriving and are so appreciative of their opportunity. Here’s a letter from one of our students…
Community
Our community support projects have continued to thrive.
Tote bag sales have helped fund backpacks filled with essential school supplies for underprivileged children.
DayPro store ticks along weekly. I enjoy living in the shoe shop 🤣🤣
We are also exploring new ideas, including workshops and community-focused activities that bring people together and create lasting impact for students that are eager to learn.
You might remember a few newsletters back I was asking for prayers and help for the Ta (grandfather) who had to have his leg amputated. He suddenly passed away last month which broke my heart. It was such a sad time for us all here along with the raw process of death and burial… I had to hold myself together on many occasions these last few months. It will be a huge financial challenge now for his widow and two young sons. We were able to give some financial support to help with the funeral costs but I don’t have enough to support the family at the moment so if this is something you feel you could help with it would be appreciated and passed on to them.
A reminder our lives are short and unpredictable but still all of us can make a difference.
Thank you for being part of this journey. Your support — whether through giving, sharing, encouraging, or simply believing in what we’re doing makes all the difference.
Traditionally this time of year I like to look back on the year and recap on the things that I’m grateful for. Here are my top 20!
20 Things I Am Grateful For
1. The chance to wake up each day in Cambodia and feel connected to a place that has become a second home.
2. The children at the education centre who greet me with smiles, energy, and trust — they are my daily reminder of why this work matters.
3. Seeing shy students slowly grow in confidence, raise their hands, and believe they can learn.
4. The warmth of the Cambodian community — their kindness, simplicity, and generosity of spirit.
5. The honour of creating scholarships in memory of Craig and Colin, keeping their legacies alive in a way that changes lives really blessed me this year.
6. You, sponsors and supporters who, even from far away, believe in what we’re doing and cheer us on.
7. The visits from potential sponsors who leave feeling encouraged — and encouraged me in return.
8. The tote bag project that started with a simple idea and is now giving school supplies to children who need them.
10. The lessons I’m learning every day as I navigate leadership, community building, and compassion.
11. The beautiful mix of challenge and purpose that keeps me growing.
12. The moments when I see hope spark in a child who once felt overlooked.
13. The relationships I’m building with staff, teachers, families, and students — each one meaningful.
14. The quiet personal goals I’m working toward — learning Khmer, painting, focusing on health — and the space Cambodia gives me to nurture them.
15. The reminder that I am exactly where I’m meant to be in this season of my life.
16. The breakthroughs, even small ones, that show progress is happening day by day.
17. The community that supports me from afar — my children, friends, and loved ones — who believe in what I’m doing.
18. The ability to dream forward: knowing there is more ahead.
19. The resilience of the Cambodian children, whose courage and optimism inspire me.
20. The privilege of being part of something bigger than myself, and seeing how love, consistency, and generosity can create lasting change.
Based on our programme activity this year, we estimate we reached between 1290 to 1400 people, counting students, non-students that attend the centre for “food fun”, backpack recipients, workshop participants, staff, and the family members who benefit when a child receives education.
We have all played a part in this ❤️ thank you from my heart and from everybody involved in the project for everything this year.
Thank you to everyone who came to the fundraiser in Perth and generously supported the brunch and contributed towards our Christmas appeal and 2026 initiatives. It was so lovely to see you all.
I would like to take this time to wish you all a very happy and blessed Christmas.
Hoping your 2026 will be full of fun, family, friendships and the hopes and dreams you have in your hearts can come closer to fruition.