Field Reports

Let’s get some kids on their way to school
Labor Day is coming right up. Yep, once again it’s that special time of year in America. Time for our kids to head back to school. I still carry fond memories of those “back-to-school” shopping trips with Mom and then beginning the adventure of a fresh new year at school. Now imagine this. Imagine no shopping trip. Imagine that you

Ten Big Mistakes
The Ten Biggest Mistakes People Make When They Donate To A Charity. As our work with the SE Asia Foundation continues to mature, I’m often asked about how one can know if their charitable donations are doing all the good they expect. Usually, I just answer such inquiries with a top-of-the-head response. But recently a friend wanted to delve more deeply into that

Will You Help Us Close The Gap?
Finally, after more than two years I was once again able to travel back to Cambodia and Thailand to work with our trusted, grass-roots partner organizations there. Needless to say, I was beyond delighted to be back on the ground and in the countryside again. What I saw was encouraging. Every single one of our more than 25 partners survived

The Story of My Rock
Today I want to tell you a story. It’s a story about a rock. Yep. A rock. Please bear with me. Many years ago, way back in 2005, Pat and I had our first-ever experience visiting an orphanage in Southeast Asia. Needless to say, we were stunned by the massive needs we saw. Shortly after that came my birthday —

It’s time to …
Normally I don’t write a newsletter in January. But this year I just couldn’t help myself. I simply had to do it. Why? Because I’m compelled to celebrate the amazing things YOU – YOU know who YOU are – did to provide so many blessings to literally hundreds – even thousands – of marginalized families and their kids in Cambodia.

An Abundance of Opportunity for You to Make a Big Difference
Last week I got a call from Ray, a long-time friend and supporter. This year Ray and his wife, Edith, want to send help to needy families instead of giving gifts to their own family members and friends. Lovely notion, I think. Ray asked for my ideas about how he might do this. Working with our highly trusted organizations in

A Message From Our Founder, Bill Taylor
November seems to be a time when our thoughts turn to gratitude and to Thanksgiving. I am no exception, and find myself very grateful these days. Why do I say that? Well, I get to live in the USA – still a pretty awesome place notwithstanding all our current struggles. And we finally seem to be getting the upper hand

Here’s YOUR opportunity to help those most in need
The COVID pandemic continues. Who would have thought at the beginning of 2020 that it would still be going full force nearly two years later? Sure, with the vaccines we now have in the US things are “better”, but still not “good”. Where we work in Cambodia, however, it is neither better nor good. For villagers losing their jobs due

Who in their right mind would give a tractor to a Monk?
I know. I know. Strange notion isn’t it? I get that. Who in their right mind would give a tractor to a monk? Or a dump truck? Or a rice-harvesting machine? I confess. We did all those things – and more. Several times. We did that for monks. We also did that for secular community groups supporting preschools and libraries.

The Amazing Result When Nonprofit Organizations Work Together – A Case Study in Cambodia
It all began with a workshop on Leadership. That was back in 2017 — when leaders from about 25 different NGOs (Non Governmental Organizations) – all focused on the education and wellbeing of children and women – assembled at a Siem Reap hotel for that training session. It was a good session, well received. No surprises since we have successfully

February 2014 Thailand Trip
This Thailand Report covers the third and final leg of my February 2014 SE Asia trip. In the event you might have missed the earlier reports, you can see the

February 2014 Myanmar Trip
Here’s a report on the Myanmar segment of my most recent trip Just getting to Myanmar is a bit more of a hassle than traveling to other countries in SE

February 2014 Cambodia Trip
This most recent trip to SE Asia was a particularly long and busy one. So, I’ll report on it in three separate sections — one for Cambodia, one for Myanmar,

My November 2013 Thailand Trip
This most recent trip to SE Asia was a very busy and productive one, with the full three weeks spent in various locations in Thailand. I was particularly pleased to

Sangkhalaburi & Myanmar
Here’s the final episode in what has been a long, busy trip to SE Asia this time. Returning from Cambodia, I was met at the Bangkok airport my my good

Fourth of July … and Cambodia
My Fourth of July was amazing. Along with a couple of my American colleagues and dear friends (Scott Friedman and Jana Stanfield) here in Siem Reap we concentrated on being

Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai
Still catching up on my recent travels — this time about my visits in Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai. Entrance First stop in CR was to visit the Good Shepherd

Two Days in Bangkok
Entrance Upon returning to BKK from Nong Khai, (which is in the north east of Thailand, not the north west, as one of my astute readers pointed out to me)

Two and a Half Days in Nong Khai
Nong Khai is an important town located right alongside the Mekong River in the northwestern part of Thailand, known as Isan, a mostly agricultural region. Vientiane, the capital of Laos,

Three Days in Bali
Hi All, Busy time in Bali to begin this trip. Three-day off-site meeting. 30 people. No opportunity for an advance design. It was all on the fly. Arrived Sunday afternoon.