As anyone who has been there will tell you, Cambodia is an intense place to visit. The ghost of the Khmer Rouge’s legacy and genocide of the seventies hangs palpably in the air, and the country hobbles forward, much like a landmine victim, on the slow path to recovery and peace. Poverty and reminders of a tragic past are everyday encounters.
But there is another kind of intensity just as palpable with the people of Cambodia – the beauty and resilience of the human spirit. The sense of hope for the future, and the gentle kindness inherent in this tortured population is a deeply moving counterpoint to the destitution from which these spirits rise. These people are tenacious and resourceful, but they need all the help they can get.
Passports with Purpose, a wonderful fundraising effort launched last year by a team of women including Wanderlust and Lipstick’s own Beth Whitman, has chosen to use this year’s funds to build a school in rural Cambodia. This is a cause that is so easy to get behind – education has proven to be one of the simplest and most effective ways to help empower communities and lift them out of poverty. Investing in youth and knowledge is a no-brainer!
The great news is, less than a week into the campaign, Passports with Purpose is already JUST $100 AWAY FROM REACHING THEIR GOAL! Through $10 increments, one person at a time, the travel blogging community has raised the virtual walls on a new school!
With the goal so close and another 2 ½ weeks for folks to participate in Passports with Purpose, I can envision this year’s fundraising easily doubling or tripling, and the one school these gals set out to build becoming more. It is truly inspiring to see what can be achieved together, and I give serious props to these ladies for all they have done.
What do you think – will you join me in helping the Passports with Purpose effort and blowing this year’s goal out of the water?
Hop on over to the PWP site and check out the killer list of prizes. For each $10 donation you make to American Assistance for Cambodia, the fantastic org who facilitates the school-building project, you get one entry for the prize drawing of your choice. ALL proceeds are going to directly to AAfC. The fundraiser closes on December 21st and prize winners are to be announced on January 5th.
photo credit: tajai