Hi there,

Last night was another great evening. I went to a restaurant in downtown Phnom Penh that was started to support an orphanage and street kids.

In the restaurant, I met the couple that started the restaurant and orphanage. When I finished eating, I ran into them again at a street festival and they asked me to sit with them. Many of the kids were at the festival as well and they took my hand and asked me to dance to some traditional Khmer songs. It was great. The kids ranged from about 6 years old to 15 years old. Similar to CCH, they are kids that are orphans or from extreme family situations. They were so cute and kept me up dancing until 1:30am.

The most interesting part was talking to this couple. The couple started the restaurant first. six years later, they decided that they would use the profits generated by the restaurant to support the poorest or the poorest children. They bought property behind the restaurant. They went out into the country side and researched various children and also got information from NGOs. They brought the kids back to their new orphanage. The orphanage has 25 children and it is entirely funded by the profits generated by the restaurant, the sale of craft items made by the children and donations taken at the door. The kids can train to cook and serve at the restaurant and also talk to tourists to learn English. They have volunteers that tutor the kids and an English class is taught at the orphanage. School comes first and the couples pays for the schooling of the children from the restaurant.

I asked them why they made this decision and the man told me that he had a hard childhood growing up and wanted to give an opportunity to poor children. I asked whether they took any vacation for themselves. They told me that they want to give these children a family structure. If they go on vacation, they pack up all 25 kids and go away in a small van. He told me that they want this to be the closest thing to family these kids will ever get and a family would not leave a child behind for a vacation.

I thought about the whole thing a little more as I sat there watching them all dance. These are normal and nice kids. This couple bought a place and searched out the children. This couple gives them a home and everything included from clothes to family vacations. There is no government support and funding. They did this whole thing on their own. Amazing.

These are definitely not rich people. It is a very small restaurant and not a big tourist place like some of the others. They grew up from a poor background. And… look at what they can achieve. To this couple, we are the rich ones. I wonder how many people would take in 25 children and raise them as their own.

I may try to stop back at the restaurant after Siem Reap.

Luv Gerry.