Cambodia

The Surprising Similarities Between Two World of Children Honorees

Editor’s Note: World of Children founders are on a humanitarian trip to Southeast Asia. This reflection was written by Co-Founder Harry Leibowitz from Siem Reap, Cambodia.



Video from visit to the Angkor Children’s Hospital in Siem Reap, Cambodia

Over the past 2 days, we visited the programs of Honorees Benoît Duchâteau-Arminjon (Benito) and Kenro Izo in Cambodia.

While Benito’s programs (Krousar Thmey) deal primarily with blind children, deaf children, and street children, Kenro has built a pediatric teaching hospital in Siem Reap (the Angkor Hospital for Children).

There, the differences end. The similarities are actually much more telling:

First

Both Honoree’s programs are far more expansive and impactful than we could have imagined, even though we had carefully researched them both.

Children of Krousar Thmey
Children at Krousar Thmey, organization founded by Benito

Second

Both Honorees’ commitment to their work is totally selfless and involves their doing all their work for no financial remuneration. In fact, both Honorees put their own resources into their programs.

Benito of Krousar Thmey
Benito with an instructor at a Krousar Thmey schoold for deaf and blind children

Third

Both have made it a major practice to use foreign personnel sparingly and, rather, to build capacity on the ground in Cambodia with Cambodians.

Math Time at Krousar Thmey
A teacher at Krousar Thmey instructs a student at the chalkboard

Fourth

The number of children being served and families being saved is almost unbelievable for a small country like Cambodia. Benito’s team services hundreds of children every day in some 60 projects nationwide and Kenro’s one hospital in Siem Reap sees at least 500 children a day in a facility that is not even half the size of a standard US Hospital.

Inside the Angkor Hospital for Children, founded by Kenro Izu
Inside the Angkor Hospital for Children, founded by Kenro Izu

Finally…

The children all come into their programs challenged or ill, disenfranchised or injured, hopeless or frightened, but they all exit the programs smiling, with a great hope for the future and a full life ahead of them.

Krousar Thmey Children
Some of the children of Krousar Thmey

And You Can Help

Now, you have the opportunity to provide life-saving medical care to the children of Laos by supporting Kenro’s second pediatric hospital, which opened in February.

Click here to learn how you can help ».

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