Below are images of an HSPCCO volunteer distributing sandwiches to a street community in north western Cambodia, a project supported by Intouch Global Foundation. The organisation (which stands for Helper Students for Poor Children of Cambodia Organisation) run schools in Siem Reap which teach reading, writing, maths, science, rudimentary agricultural skills, as well as lessons in human rights and English. The area has access to very limited resources, and children here don’t receive a state education.
The founder and leader of HSPCCO, Samuth “Lucky Man” Noem, is so named after his incredible escape from the Khmer Rouge Killing Fields, navigating the deadly minefields to the safety of the Thai border where he sought refuge.
In 1975, following the Cambodian Civil War, the Khmer Rouge overthrew the government and executed then 15-year old Samuth’s father, a governor in southern Cambodia, along with the rest of his family. Samuth escaped into the jungle, joining a group of 33 who set out on foot to flee Cambodia. Samuth was one of only three who survived the journey and from this time forth became known as Lucky Man.
An estimated 1.7 million people died during this regime from 1975-1979 – a quarter of Cambodia’s population. Lucky Man survived, and vowed to help the children of those who did not have his faith and good fortune. IGF support Lucky Man by donating food, books, school supplies, uniforms, and basic medicine, allowing him to continue his remarkable work in regions around Puok Village, Siem Reap.
