HUSK began working in Cambodia when the country was at a critical stage of development. The Cambodian people were struggling to recover from the effects of the Khmer Rouge, facing major barriers to moving forward and achieving their human rights. To this day, many communities in Cambodia lack access to their most basic needs and rights, including enough food, adequate shelter and safe drinking water. These challenges lead many families to take their children out of school and send them to work at a young age, further hindering the possibility of sustainable development in their communities.

HUSK was founded in 2008 and is registered in Siem Reap, Cambodia. They work closely with disadvantaged communities to develop grassroots solutions to these everyday issues, helping them to meet their needs, realize their potential and break the cycle of poverty.

WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP

GoPhilanthropic Foundation’s partnership with HUSK began in 2011 when the Foundation was just beginning it’s partnerships in Cambodia. With support from the GoPhil community, the HUSK team has made major impacts on the communities’ access to human rights and overall quality of life. These include:

• Grants to build and maintain clean water systems, improving the villages’ access to clean water;
• A new Education Center and well-equipped classrooms (built from sustainable “eco-bricks”), allowing more children in the villages to attend school;
• A new community library full of Khmer and English books, providing community members young and old with tools to improve literacy and level of education;
• Salaries for skilled school teachers, improving the quality of education available in these villages and funds to purchase classroom books;
• House-builds and repairs, as needed, improving access to shelter and security for those families living in extreme poverty;
• Support for vocational training programs to generate opportunities and a path for continued community development.

WHAT MAKES HUSK UNIQUE?

HUSK partners with two villages and works alongside their community members each and every day; this regular presence has resulted in a deep understanding of their specific needs as well as strong, trusting relationships with the village leaders and those they serve.

This trust and understanding allows HUSK to create highly relevant and in-depth solutions to combat poverty and drastically improve living conditions.