2021 YAMEN Class

Over the last month we’ve been welcoming our new class of YAMEN participants from around the world. These young adults will be living in Cambodian host families and serving at local organizations for 11 months. The participants this year come from Malawi, South Korea, Kenya, and India. Two of the participants will be living in…

Fishponds

I wanted to share some photos and a recent story related to the household fishponds that long time MCC partner Organization to Develop Our Villages (ODOV) is constructing in four rural districts of Prey Veng province. This is part of a larger project funded by MCC and the Canadian Foodgrains Bank to support rural Agricultural…

Kheang Vanna’s Apprenticeship

In rural Mesang district, Prey Veng province long time MCC partner Organization to Develop Our Villages (ODOV) coordinates an apprenticeship vocational program. This proven model connects young adults hoping to learn vocational and small business skills with a Master Crafts Person. In the process, they escape chronic poverty that drives many people to dangerous migrant…

ធម្មយាត្រា | Dhammayietra

In traditional Cambodian village life the local Buddhist Monks served as educators, healthcare providers, and – along with the village elders and chief – meditators of local conflict. When the Khmer Rouge fully took power in 1975 they forbid all religious practice. By the time the Khmer Rouge were driven out of power only around…

Fishbones and the heart of the Mekong

I developed a dairy allergy in my teenage years. Since then, I’ve often been asked “how do you get your calcium without milk?” Well, calcium is available in many foods with dark leafy greens being of special note. One of my favorite sources of calcium is blackstrap molasses which is a fantastic sugar substitute for…

Christopher Dock and Peaceful Education

Our rural primary school education program is making the shift to focus on peaceful education and that’s had me thinking about Christopher Dock. No, no, not Crystal’s high school but the educator for whom it is named. Christopher Dock was a Mennonite educator who taught in the Skippack area from 1718 to 1771 (with a…

PSEA in MCC Cambodia

PSEA is the acronym used for the Prevention against Sexual Exploitation and Abuse. About a decade ago, the world began to discover that sexual exploitation and abuse were possible, and even at times rampant, in the humanitarian world.  Scandals in large international NGOs were made public and the international development and humanitarian sectors began to pay…

Voltra Matrix Test Drive

Last week Doungchann, our administrative assistant, and I went to test drive the Voltra Matrix. This is the first ‘made in Cambodia’ electric moto. If you’ve been to Phnom Penh, you know that the air and noise pollution are major problems. Cambodia is also consistently ranked as one of the top ten countries in the…

COVID-19 Food Relief with Mission Dove

In June, MCC provided humanitarian relief funding to one of our local partners, Mission Dove, “to assist 160 economically depressed families that have lost income and employment in communities where DOVE has a presence by providing them with nutritional food packages so they can survive the aftermath of the recent COVID spike and lowdown.” Mission…