Our Blogs, News & Updates | Reach Siem Reap

A regular update on all things happening at REACH… join us on our journey, as we work together to drive positive change.

  • 200kms in 2 days, doing what we love!

    By Borith RinMy name is Borith. I am the REACH Riders Club program manager, before working at REACH I worked as a tour guide, but unfortunately bec...

  • Welcome back to REACH!

    Classrooms full of voices, with hands waving in the air asking to be seen by the teacher, eager to learn. Courtyards with children playing and laug...

  • Sponsor a Youth - Julie's reflection.

    Three years ago, I was blowing the dust off my backpack and getting ready for a trip to Thailand and Cambodia after a long travel hiatus. Little did I know at that time that crossing the border into the Kingdom of Cambodia would be a game changer for me.

  • A parting note from Shiv

    Working on the ground in Cambodia surrounded by a team of dedicated humanitarians fully immersed in responding to the pandemic, does not leave you much time to stop, think and reflect. During the past 2 years at REACH, there has been soaring highs, and devastating lows (as well as everything in between), and riding this metaphorical rollercoaster has made it difficult to sit back and analyse just how much has actually been achieved in the face of adversity.  
     
    My reflection on the past 2 years happened after an 18 hour flight home, 10 day quarantine and a very big, deep breath.  
     
    … And wow, what a 2 years it has been! 

  • A painful set-back to grapple with.

    Following a week of yellow-zone lockdowns, on Friday the 17th of September, communes in Siem Reap province were placed into red-zone lockdowns. The...

  • Keeping REACH kids engaged with their education

    Due to the significant financial losses our families suffered from countrywide redundancies; our immediate reaction was to fight the potentiality of starvation. After months of hard work, logistical challenges and everchanging restrictions, our critical emergency food distribution processes were running smoothly and effectively, and it was then time to turn our attention towards intensifying our “at home learning” strategy. 

    Following the success of our Double Your REACH campaign, we are now very proud to share with you the 5 core areas of development that our education team have been working on behind the scenes. 

  • Becoming homeless during Covid.

    Worryingly, the current threat of the Covid-19 outbreak is just one of many problems at the forefront of our families minds. Right now, a number of...

  • Covid-19 has taken hold.

    For the past year, we have been using words such as “difficult” and “challenging” in an attempt to paint a picture of our day-to-day reality, but in all honesty, these singular words undermine the enormity of what not only our families, but also our team have been going through.

    This whirlwind of an update is going to give you some hard hitting insights into the current conditions of Siem Reap city, the many layers of ongoing suffering, and the recent events that led to four of our staff members being removed from their families.

  • Recycle, Refurbish & Sustain – A collaboration with Ponheary Ly Foundation!

    Currently, with lockdowns in place across the province, our approach to logistics in the weeks ahead will be challenging, but our resilient team h...

  • Evaluating our impact: Lyna’s choice

    REACH's programs have been methodically designed with a solid purpose; to break long-standing, inter-generational poverty cycles.

    Although we talk about this goal frequently, it is imperative that we continually evaluate our programs by assessing the impact that they are having on our families. Whilst we can systematically collect data, carry out surveys, and track our findings, it is the organic offering of this information by determined mothers and fathers that tell us the most.

    Returning from a recent house visit, our social worker was almost in tears over the conversation she had just had with one of our resilient mothers, Lyna*.

    This is Lyna’s story.

  • REACH has teamed up with Green Gecko Project to prevent human trafficking.

    Our communication with Green Gecko Project first unfolded in November last year when we hosted a screening of the film to all of our staff. The purpose of this screening was to educate our staff on the dangers and warning signs of human trafficking which is a huge risk to vulnerable children and adults in Cambodia. After seeing this on social media, leading actor Sarm Heng, who grew up with the love and support of Green Gecko - an NGO founded by Tania Palmer in 2005 to prevent the human trafficking of street kids and their families - got in touch with us to collaborate. Sarm and Tania came to REACH for a meeting, and we learned that the initial purpose of their involvement within this film was to be able to raise awareness on the dangers of illegally crossing borders in search of work. 

  • Side by Side reflection

    As I sit here with tired legs, three days on from our final bike ride with REACH’s teenagers, I feel an immense wave of gratitude for every sponsor...