Field Reports

Local charity provides COVID relief in Cambodia
Here’s an article that appeared in our local on-line newspaper, My Edmonds News, on September 14th. SE Asia Foundation, an Edmonds-based charitable organization, has announced the completion of a successful fundraising campaign to provide assistance to impoverished villages in Cambodia affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Grants of nearly of $43,000 were made to vetted non-government organizations working with the residents

You Really Stepped Up To The Challenge
Two months ago we told the story about how the COVID-19 pandemic was impacting so many villagers in Cambodia – and what was needed to help those folks survive during that challenging time. You – our wonderful donor community – rose up to meet the challenge with amazing generosity. With your support we were able to make $29,000 in grants

As pandemic spreads to small villages, kids in Southeast Asia need your help
The following article appeared on the My Edmonds News web site today. in Southeast Asia are in real peril from the current pandemic, way more than we are. Think about it. You’re a child. To you, the whole world is your small village. You and your family live in a primitive bamboo or wooden house, possibly without electricity or running

Your Amazing Help with the COVID-19 Crisis in Cambodia
With a huge thank you to all of our supporters – you know who you are – last week we were able to send $22,000 in grants to eight of our highly trusted NGO* partners in Cambodia. This way we directly address the crisis brought about by the current pandemic. Hundreds of village families will directly benefit from your generosity.

Vulnerable Villagers Need Our Help Urgently
Under normal circumstances this would be the time for me to send you a quarterly newsletter reporting on another successful trip working with the organizations we regularly support in Cambodia, Myanmar, and Thailand. Unfortunately, I can’t do that right now. Like most of you I’m spending my time sheltering in place, keeping appropriate social distancing when I do venture out,

It’s Always About the Kids — This Time in Cambodia
It’s hard to imagine that $2500 could buy 10 computers and give a group of young students in Cambodia their first experience with modern technology, but a recent contribution made that happen. When our board president, Candace Sellers, enthusiastically told her friend Larry about an upcoming trip to Cambodia to visit some of the projects sponsored by SEAF, he asked

A Social Enterprise Story Helping the Entire Community
This is a story about social enterprise, and how we work to support education in a very real way. Imagine living in a house like one of these Now imagine that your only water source is a community well a very, very long walk away. This is life in the very remote Kyet Tuu Ywel (Two Parrots) village located in the north eastern part

Innovation in Education
Meet Tammy DurandTammy runs an innovative school called ABCs and Rice educating street kids in Siem Reap, Cambodia.Nine years ago Tammy visited Cambodia. Saw the challenges village kids faced. Vowed to do something about it.Nine years later she is still there, living in Cambodia, doing something about it.One of our favorite placesto support. Here’s the Story Government school in Cambodia is

Helping People Help Themselves
This is a story about how we enhance the sustainability of the organizations we serve. He needed $20,000 CCDO is a fine organization. We’ve worked with them successfully on several of their other projects.But this time, our initial response was “No, not yet.” Keeping in mind our long-held value of “helping people help themselves”, my first question was “Why aren’t

We Can See The Difference
There are so many heartwarming stories I could tell you about the work we are doing in Southeast Asia. With your help we are now providing education and housing for thousands of needy young women and girls in Cambodia, Thailand and Myanmar each year, as these regions claw their way back from poverty and troubled political histories. Take Sedtha Long,

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.