TRiP Foundation’s Cambodia Projects
Cambodia is a country that has experienced unimaginable hardship in its recent history. It is also a country that has shown remarkable resilience and inner strength to continue moving forward. There are countless charities and NGOs in place now to help make the journey ahead an easier one, and so choosing a project to support can prove to be incredibly challenging. We have selected the following charities as we have seen them in action first hand. We strongly believe that they will benefit the communities and environments with a positive impact, helping create a better future in Cambodia.
WSE Travel stands strongly behind our T.R.I.P. philosophy: Travel Responsibly, Impact Positively. As part of our initiative to ensuring a positive impact is made as a result of our guests’ travels with us, we donate either $2 USD per day per guest or 2% of the overall price of their tour or experience with us – whichever is a greater sum. We sponsor either a community social project, an environmental project, or an animal protection project within the country they are visiting. The funds donated are by us on behalf of our guests by Where Sidewalks End, without costing them anything additional. Being local representatives of these countries and communities, we feel it is our responsibility to give back to protect and preserve our destinations. This should not be asked of in addition to the hard-earned money our guests are already spending for their well-deserved holidays (though additional donations for the projects are encouraged should our guests wish to take this initiative as well).
All amounts raised and collected for our TRiP Foundation are donated at the end of the calendar year to these awesome projects:
Social Project
Epic Arts Cambodia
About this Organization
During the last 10 years, we have seen Epic Arts grow from a few workshops in Phnom Penh, to the opening of Epic Arts Cafe in Kampot in 2006, right through to the construction of our purpose-built fully accessible Arts Centre in 2009. We have been lucky enough to see the results of this hard work as many of the graduates from our early projects now work for Epic Arts as staff and act as advocates for many young disabled people in Cambodia.
Why They Need Our Help
Epic Arts’ community team works with over 500 people living with disabilities in the province, collaborating with partner organizations to provide physical rehabilitation, deaf education or skills training, setting up self-help groups and promoting the message “see ability, not disability”. All the programs will benefit from funds raised to help continue to promote their message as well as pay for overheads that could otherwise tie up valuable resources.
Environmental Project
Free The Bears Fund
http://www.freethebears.org.au/
About this Organization
Free The Bears Fund sanctuary is located at the Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Centre, 40km from the capital Phnom Penh. Twenty-one forested enclosures have been built over 7 hectares to house a mixture of Sun bears and Asiatic black bears of different ages and personalities.
All of the enclosures are extensively furnished with pools, rocks, hammocks, climbing frames, lush native vegetation and a variety of enrichment toys to ensure that the bears are kept happy and healthy at all times. Free the Bears Fund covers 100% of the running costs of the bear sanctuary and employs a team of local keepers to care for the bears.
Why They Need Our Help
Cambodia is home to 14 globally endangered species, including the Asiatic black bear, Malaysian sun bear, Asian elephant, Indochinese tiger and the Pileated gibbon. There are various national parks and protected forests in Cambodia, however, land encroachment, illegal logging and wildlife poaching gravely threaten all of these protected areas. Free The Bears Fund is providing a safe sanctuary for animals forced out of their natural habitat as a result of these actions.
Money Raised This Year
USD $0
2018 total funds raised so far for Cambodia Projects
Last Updated: May 19, 2018
Money Raised In Past Years
USD $52
2017 Total funds for the Cambodia Projects
Social Project: Epic Arts Donation: $26
Environmental Project: Free The Bears Donation: $26
USD $46
2014 Total funds for the Cambodia Projects
Social Project: Epic Arts Donation: $23
Environmental Project: Free The Bears Donation: $23
Because of our TRIP philosophy, we feel it’s important to give back both to the people and to the planet to which we visit. That’s why for every day you spend with WSE Travel, we will be giving back to the local charities listed above. So far, each charity has raised this much money for the current calendar year.
Perhaps your TRIP mostly consisted of lounging on a beach with little local interaction, or maybe it was spent in a cooking class in the heart of Bangkok with little nature interaction. Regardless of the type of TRIP you take, you can still rest assured that you were having a positive impact on both the people and the planet on your vacation, through our TRiP Foundation projects!