 |
|||||||
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
We, Patrick & Carol Kelly, are from Perth, Western Australia.
While visiting Cambodia in 2003, we felt called to serve the people. Subsequently, we left our senior management positions in the corporate world to pursue a lifestyle of service and life has never been the
same, as we see our vision to equip, empower and enrich the lives of the Cambodian people, come to fruition.
It has been an 'interesting' transition from our so called secure life in the insurance industry with all our bases covered, to daring to live on the edge, whilst serving the poor, in the developing world!
So far, we have had the privilege of serving hundreds of people and look forward to seeing that number
ascend into the thousands, as we continue to establish community development centres which provide programs
that equip and empower the locals, who now dream of a much better life.
We determine to 'never succumb to the enormity of the problem and risk failing the one'.
A large number of those we serve are children. Many of the poor children of Cambodia, become street children who are classified as those children who spend most of their time either living or working on the street. They are the very poorest of the poor and are trapped in a poverty cycle. They are uneducated and face a bleak future. Hence, we have a passion to do what we can to fill their lives with hope and purpose.
Many children are forced to work to contribute to the family income, with large numbers collecting recyclable materials, which they scrounge from the various rubbish piles and markets in and around the city and provinces. While working in this environment they are at risk of being lured into the ‘sex and trafficking industry’.
The burden of working from such a young age and the huge responsibility of providing financial assistance to the family income, basically robs the children of a childhood. Consequently, we have taken on the challenge of equipping and empowering poor parents, as well, and breaking their 'poverty mentality' mindset, so that the whole family lives an enriched life. In some instances, this necessitates building homes, providing safe drinking water and effective santitation facilities, medical care etc.
The 'Empowering Cambodia' development program offers a variety of projects for children, youth and adults in the city and provincial districts.
Empowering Cambodia is an International Non Government Organisation operating in the Kingdom of Cambodia and in accordance with our Memorandum of Understanding with the Royal Government of Cambodia ~ Ministry of Foreign Affairs ~ International Cooperation
We are proud to be an approved partner of Global Development Group (ABN 57 102 400 993), for Project # J247. Global Development Group is an Australian Non Government Organisation (NGO) carrying out humanitarian projects with approved partners and providing aid to relieve poverty and provide long term solutions through the provision of quality aid development projects.
Global Development Group takes responsibility for the project according to AusAID rules, providing a governance role and assisting in the areas of planning, monitoring, reviewing and evaluating to ensure that our project is carried out to Australian requirements.
We consider it a privilege to be chosen as Global Development Group's In-Country Representatives for Cambodia.
Patrick and Carol Kelly
Co-founders & Directors'
Empowering Cambodia
| purposed and dedicated to breaking the poverty cycle through equipping, empowering and enriching the lives of the Cambodian people |