Have a Heart For Cambodia - HAHFC

A trip back to his homeland after 35 years with my Cambodian born husband and a meeting with amazing groups of volunteers working to better the lives of disadvantaged Cambodian children, led to a vision for Victorian students and their school communities.. ODA (Opportunities of Development Through Art)It was first set up by Leng Touch who had himself witnessed his father killed by the Khmer Rouge. He was fortunate to be saved by an aunt and uncle enabling him to go to school and study the Fine Arts. Wanting to ‘give back’, he set up a home for children who, like himself, had been left orphaned after the dreaded Killing Fields. However, ODA has now grown to something far greater. In response to the needs of so many disadvantaged Cambodian children, ODA has expanded its mission setting up and running seven free English night schools for around 700 students from poor farming families from outlying villages out of Siem Reap. FLAME CAMBODIA in Phnom Penh works tirelessly with families in the slums, raising funds for their children to escape lives of working in the rubbish dumps or collecting rubbish from the streets of this big, busy city to gain an education and a future. Our mission is to 'make a difference to the lives of disadvantaged Cambodian children. To raise an awareness of the lives they live and and funds to enable them to gain an education and .a future.'

Our bi-annual 'Victoria-Wide Exhibition of Schools Art' is our major fundraiser. We encourage school communities to 'leap on board' and support this huge Event and help us make a difference to the lives of children in a country not far from our own.. Director: Julie Lach
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