Winter 2025
Dear friends and family,
I hope this letter finds you well and ready for the cooler winter months.
Every time I sit down to write to you, I’m reminded of how deeply this place — Cambodia — continues to shape my heart and purpose. What began as a project has become a calling. The faces, stories, and daily moments here are too powerful not to share.
Thank you for being part of this unfolding story. Your support doesn’t just help — it transforms. I’m so honoured that we are able to build something lasting and worthwhile together in this land that teaches me something new nearly every day!
So let me update you on our 3 main focuses and what we’ve been doing this last 3 months.
Education Centre
Over the past few months, we’ve seen incredible progress at our education centre. Children who once struggled to read are now confidently sharing stories and gaining confidence to read aloud. Teens who had never touched a computer are now building digital skills that will open new doors for their futures. We are developing a dedicated local team of volunteers, past students and staff that will hopefully continue to pour their hearts into teaching and mentoring here.
None of this would be possible without you.
I thought I might give you an update on National Education initiatives in Cambodia as Cambodia is undergoing transformative changes in its education system:
• Teacher Education Reform: The Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sport (MoEYS), in partnership with UNESCO, launched the Strategic Plan for Teacher Education Reform 2024–2030. This plan transitions the teacher training system from a two-year to a four-year program for primary and lower secondary educators, aiming to enhance the quality and professionalism of teaching nationwide.
• Inclusive Education Initiatives: In July 2024, MoEYS, with support from UNICEF, introduced the Inclusive Education Action Plan 2024–2028. This initiative focuses on ensuring that every child, including those with disabilities, has access to quality education by promoting inclusiveness, providing necessary tools and support, and fostering collaboration among stakeholders.
Our Shared Achievements
Your contributions have directly impacted our community:
• Expanded Enrollment: Over 100 children are now enrolled in our programs, receiving daily English lessons, computer tutoring, maths and science education.
• Digital Access: We’ve established a computer lab, providing students with essential digital skills that align with national efforts to integrate technology into education.
• Creative Development: Our workshops in arts and life skills empower youth to explore their talents and build confidence.
Looking Ahead
While we’ve achieved much, there’s more to be done. We aim to:
• Expand Our Reach: Increase enrollment to support more children in underserved areas.
• Enhance Facilities: Upgrade our infrastructure to provide a more conducive learning environment.
• Scholarship Programs: Offer more scholarships to promising students facing economic hardships. We currently have 6 full scholarship students.
Scholarships
Last newsletter we mentioned we would be initiating two scholarships in honor of Craig Wilson and Colin Fleay.
We were lucky enough to have close friends visit from New Zealand two weeks ago who presented the first of these… the Craig Wilson scholarship to our new student. It was a touching moment sharing Craig’s legacy.
The student was humbled to receive the opportunity to fulfil her dreams of education with her main goal to help her very poor family.
The following letter was written by one of our youngest supporters, a kind-hearted, compassionate young man who generously donated his savings to help children in Cambodia.
"Hi, I’m Asher, I'm 13 years old, and I recently chose to donate to the Aroha Project. I was inspired by their mission to bring aroha to children in Cambodia. What I have really loved about donating is seeing the photos and hearing the incredible impact my small contribution has made. It humbles me to see the challenging conditions these kids face, and I feel grateful to be able to make a difference and help uplift each individual."
Community Support
Supporting different needs in the community has always been something I have prioritised as much as possible. There’s so much poverty and many instances where families are completely broken with no ability to get ahead or help when hardship happens.
After visiting the province during, Khmer New Year I noticed one of the older men looking particularly frail and having difficulty walking. On closer observation I noticed a few of his toes were black. Instinctively I knew what this meant. After organising him to come to a Phnom Penh hospital for a consultation it was confirmed his leg needed to be amputated due to complications from undiagnosed diabetes. It’s been a heartbreaking situation. He’s a farmer and his family rely on him.
It’s a reminder of how serious this disease can be when left unmanaged or when healthcare access is limited. Most people in the poorer communities pass away because they are unable to afford the operation or medical treatments. We were fortunate to be able to get him to a good hospital for surgery and he’s now receiving rehabilitation and will hopefully be able to go back to his village in another few weeks. He’s a brave man.
These situations are so difficult both emotionally and financially. I’m so grateful to you all for your monthly contributions that can help families in distress like this.
Thank you from me and thank you from his family.
If you would like to assist this family financially please let me know as they will have a lot of ongoing financial needs.
For those of you who would love to partner with us financially –no gift is too small! Whether through offering a scholarship for a student or for general support here are the details:
To claim donation tax (through GDG) in the USA, UK, Australia or New Zealand click here. You can set up a one off, monthly or yearly payment towards a project goal of your interest.
Alternatively, pop your money in any one of these accounts and it all goes directly to the Aroha Project.
Australia ANZ Direct Deposit: WILSON 016141 299685840
NZ ANZ Direct Deposit: WILSON 06 0383 0164749 04
Direct Deposit: Edge | 03 0155 0451009-000 and reference 'arohaproject'
As you can understand all of what we do here as a project takes a good deal of money even on my leanest budgets! If you feel moved to support the next chapter of this journey, could you please consider making a one-time or monthly donation?
Every dollar goes directly to the heart of the project — changing lives and building futures.
I’m forever grateful for your love, prayers and support.
Arohanui,
Annie