{"id":2989,"date":"2017-04-20T16:28:37","date_gmt":"2017-04-20T16:28:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gophilanthropic.org\/?p=2989"},"modified":"2017-05-09T21:32:41","modified_gmt":"2017-05-09T21:32:41","slug":"making-new-discoveries-cambodia-gemma-marshall-regional-development-manager-se-asia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gophilanthropic.org\/making-new-discoveries-cambodia-gemma-marshall-regional-development-manager-se-asia\/","title":{"rendered":"Making New Discoveries in Cambodia"},"content":{"rendered":"

by Gemma Marshall, Regional Development Manager, SE Asia<\/em><\/p>\n

I was delighted to join the GoPhil team back in August 2016 to support the Foundation\u2019s work in SE Asia. I have lived in Cambodia for a couple of years and initially met GoPhil through one of its partner organizations PEPY.<\/a> I have a background in fundraising and communications and have worked overseas with grassroots NGOs for around 5 years now. It was wonderful that as I was looking for my next challenge just as GoPhil were looking for someone to develop the SE Asia region and be an on the ground contact for their work here.\"\" <\/span><\/p>\n

As a foundation GoPhil has worked in SE Asia since its inception 5 years ago. We have been delighted to see the organizations we have been working with here thrive and go from strength to strength.\u2014 all these organizations are focused on education and some have varying degrees of family or community support woven into their core work. After 5 years of collaboration, GoPhil have seen them create more stable policies, procedures and donor bases. With our current partners doing so well and with me now on the ground, it was time for GoPhil to expand its reach by developing a deeper and broader network of of NGOs providing access to health, education and human rights.\u00a0 <\/span>But where to start?\u00a0 <\/span>It is a big region with so many challenges\u2026 <\/span><\/p>\n

Where to begin<\/h3>\n

I live in Cambodia and have done for a couple of years so this made Cambodia the logical choice of country to begin as a focus. With so much to consider, it made sense to begin with the fundamentals\u2014the lay of the land, the history and the key issues.<\/span><\/p>\n

In Cambodia the most striking variables to consider are the high levels of poverty, migration to bordering countries for economic reasons, political unrest and levels of corruption, long term effects and PTSD from the Khmer rouge regime, dependence on and corruption within orphanages, environmental and land rights issues, the sex trade and trafficking. \u00a0It also struck me how may NGOs there were (of varying standards) and how dependent the country seems to be on them. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"

Irregular migrants returning to Cambodia<\/p><\/div>\n

Despite having lived in Cambodia for years, I was shocked by some of my findings. <\/span><\/p>\n