Story

Pictured on the left is what used to be the Steung Meanchey Dumpsite and is now the home of many children and families in Phnom Penh. Many people build houses on and around the garbage dumpsite, scavenging for trash to sell. Others go into the city to scavenge and then bring back the rubbish to sell and sort in Steung Meanchey. Living conditions are dire - many children walk around barefoot on pieces of glass, and homes lack electricity, plumbing, or hygiene. Children are often pushed to find work at a young age and avoid going to school as their parents are more concerned with raising money to survive than providing the children with education. Up until 2003, no one could help these children escape poverty, lack of education and the harsh living conditions.

Sewon Park '17, alumnus of Phillips Academy Andover, visited Cambodia for the fifth time in the summer of 2015 and worked with Cambodian Children's Fund as a volunteer. Cambodian Children's Fund, a non-profit organization founded by Scott Neeson in 2003, helps Cambodian children receive top-notch education for free. CCF aided the children living in the Steung Meanchey Dumpster to receive education rather than scavenging the dumpsters.

Sewon was greatly inspired by the motivated and positive high school students she met at the organization in the fall of 2015. During the school year, she co-founded College for Cambodia, a club and non-profit organization, with Derek Jiang and Navin Kheth.

Together, the founders of College For Cambodia analyzed the most important needs of the students at Cambodian Children's Fund and thought about ways they could help the students even from far away. They discovered ways to utilize their resources and opportunities given at Phillips Academy Andover to support and inspire the students in Cambodia.

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Ever since then, we, College for Cambodia, have continued to support the academic pursuit of students in Cambodia. Starting 2018, we have begun to collaborate with the Ponheary Ly Foundation, another non-profit organization in Cambodia.

We are excited to work with the PLF Foundation in search for new ways to support students in Cambodia both on-campus at Andover and in Cambodia during our annual summer trips.

Click above to visit the website of the Ponheary Ly Foundation

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College For Cambodia

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A Phillips Academy Andover student club and nonprofit organization

STORY

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Sewon was greatly inspired by the motivated and positive high school students she met at the organization in the fall of 2015. During the school year, she co-founded College for Cambodia, a club and non-profit organization, with Derek Jiang and Navin Kheth.

​

_________________

​

​

Ever since then, we, College for Cambodia, have continued to support the academic pursuit of students in Cambodia. Starting 2018, we have begun to collaborate with the Ponheary Ly Foundation, another non-profit organization in Cambodia.

We are excited to work with the PLF Foundation in search for new ways to support students in Cambodia both on-campus at Andover and in Cambodia during our annual summer trips.