Newsletter-Spring 2018

Newsletter

Spring 2018

A Note from Bill and Nancy

We spent 3 weeks in February and March in Cambodia, leading our 7th tour group. Over the years, we’ve also accompanied four student groups from Francis Parker and The Bishop’s School. Each year the trip gets better -- we love sharing our village with our fellow travelers.

We’re planning another trip for early next year. You’ll see Angkor Wat and the other wonders of Cambodia, but more importantly you’ll connect with our Cambodian friends in the village. If you like to travel in small groups and see the “real” Cambodia, please join us for a life-changing adventure. If you’re interested in next year’s trip, send an email to billandnancy@cambodianvillagefund.org .

Places we saw, people we met and things we did! We made stops in 3 major cities -- Phnom Penh, the bustling capital of Cambodia, Battambang, a lovely French colonial town, and Siem Reap, gateway to Angkor Wat and other amazing ancient sites. The best part of everyone’s trip was our stay in Battambang. It’s off the beaten path for most tourists, but is less than 20 miles from our village. From Battambang, we spent a lot of time in the village, working with the students and getting to know the people. Like us, the all of our travelers fell in love with the Cambodian people -- especially the bright, hardworking and fun-loving scholarship girls.
Travel group at Banteay Srei Temple	Kindergarten Class
Art lessons	Scholarship girls
Visiting Sreyneth's house	Touring the village in the tuk-tuk
Scholarship girls waiting for English class	Laura and scholarship girls

Testimonials from some of our travelers

Judy Harrington - San Diego, CA

Loved the exotic sights in Cambodia, but just as cool was meeting the scholarship girls and visiting their homes. Our fun group helped teach English to rural elementary school students. Memories of the trip will warm our hearts for years. Most importantly, proceeds from this very reasonably-priced trip help finance more schools and college scholarships.

Judy Casey – Smithfield, RI

I am so grateful to accompany you on the insightful, amazing Cambodia adventure. You are so inspirational … Meeting the students and their families was a highlight. Keep up the good work!

Susan Schroeder - San Diego, CA

My husband and I had the opportunity to be part of a 15-person team to visit Cambodia. In the village, we spent time with the families and at the school. I came away feeling that in many ways these wonderful people were “richer” than many of us in what really counts.

Francis Parker High School Group Francis Parker high school students have become regulars at our village. We spent a week with them in March – this was their third trip to our village. The Parker students taught English classes, attended the dedication of the new primary school, the Brian Dean Learning Center, and set up a library in the school. They had a great time with our scholarship students and bonded very quickly. Together, they played soccer, went to the Circus, went to the market, visited homes in the village, explored the local ancient ruins and had a fun farewell party. We appreciate Francis Parker’s generous donation for the library and their support of the soccer program. We look forward to their visits each year and applaud their hard work and commitment to the Cambodian people.
Francis Parker and Cambodian students	Teaching English
Venerable Sovechea's Women's Day gift	Setting up the library
Fun and games after English class	Soccer game at our new stadium
Francis Parker and Cambodian students	Francis Parker and Cambodian students

Dedicating a new school - The Brian Dean Learning Center

The Brian Dean Learning Center, a beautiful new 3-classroom school, was dedicated in Prey Touch Village on March 9th. We are grateful to Brian Dean, a successful American entrepreneur, who financed the building.

The Francis Parker students and teachers attended the ceremony along with hundreds of local students, parents, teachers, officials and village residents. The Deputy Minister of Education, Youth and Sports gave the keynote address and presented Brian Dean with an award from Cambodia’s Prime Minister, which we accepted on Brian’s behalf.

Brian Dean Learning Center

Dedication of Brian Dean's school

Cutting the ribbon

Primary school students at dedication

Our group with 3rd grade class

Ways You Can Get Involved

Donate

CVF has on-going expenses (e.g., English language program, scholarship program, upkeep on schools and road repair) and needs your help. Go to our website cambodianvillagefund.org and contribute by credit card or PayPal … or use the old fashion way by sending a check to:

Cambodian Village Fund
c/o Bill and Nancy Bamberger
4376 Argos Dr.
San Diego, CA 92116-2330

Sponsor a scholarship student

We need more sponsors for the scholarship program. A college degree completely changes a life and only costs $1,600 a year. (Partial sponsorships are also available.) To learn more, go to http://cambodianvillagefund.org/scholarship-sponsor (You can donate online or sign up for a monthly, quarterly or annual automatic payment.)

Join us on the 2019 Cambodia Trip

Don’t miss out on this remarkable journey to Cambodia where you’ll come away with a deep, heartfelt connection to the country and the gentle, fun-loving, hardworking, resilient Cambodians. If you are interested in going to Cambodia next year, send us an email at billandnancy@cambodianvillagefund.org. The trip will be in January, but we are still working on the final details.

Thanks to Pam Raney, Sharon Young and Sarun, our incredible guide, for their amazing photos.