Cambodia: non-profits and fair trade.

Teachers Across Borders [TAB] is a collaboration between Australian and American teachers to help Cambodians improve their educational system, which was completely ruined during the Khmer Rouge. They teach subjects the Cambodian teachers might not have learned so well themselves [Mom has had to go over genetics a few times with her biology teachers], donate equipment and resources, and so on. Their website says they're also going to start up programs in India.

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I know I've mentioned it before, but here's another plug for Green Star, a delicious restaurant in Siem Reap whose profits go to Green Gecko, an incredible organization that will have the whole next post dedicated to it.

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Artisans d'Angkor trains disadvantaged young people to make traditional Cambodian crafts, both to help the youths and to revive/preserve Cambodian art tradition, which almost died with most of the artists during the Pol Pot regime. They have a workshop and store in Siem Reap and boutiques in other locations, like the Phnom Penh airport [inside security]. They have beautiful carvings, artwork on lacquered wood, silk clothing and accessories... [I spent far too much money there, but at least now I have art for my future apartment!]

This sign is in a room where a group of young deaf girls is in charge of elaborate paintings.

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Bloom Bags [check out their manifesto and "behind the scenes"] was founded by a Singaporean woman and makes fun bags out of old rice bags. They're more expensive than what you can find in the markets, but their workers get more money, and for rich Westerners, they're certainly still a cheap find. I'm thrilled with my travel toiletry hanger.

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I got some nice scarves at Khmer Royal, which doesn't seem to have a website but is at 6A St. 57 in Phnom Penh, across from the Khmer Surin restaurant [which isn't a non-profit or anything but is still delicious!].

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At one of the temples we stumbled upon a guy in a wheelchair selling paintings and drawings. They were really incredible and varied, and most of us ended up buying some - I got one of monks riding an elephant, where everything is black and white except the monks' robes, which are bright orange. The guy gave us the card of the shop he's a part of, and we checked it out later. Rehab Craft Cambodia in Siem Reap "is a fair trade NGO run by and for Cambodians with disabilities that provides support and creates job opportunities by producing quality handicrafts and marketing our products along with products from rural artisans." It's good stuff.

Across the street from Rehab Craft, there's always a guy selling books from a wheeled cart. Top Vanna lost both of his hands to a landmine; here's an article from the BBC on his story. I got two books written by a woman who experienced the Khmer Rouge as a girl before making it to the United States [First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers and Lucky Child: A Daughter of Cambodia Reunites with the Sister She Left Behind by Loung Ung - haven't read them yet, but I'm sure they're fascinating!].

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I just found this while looking up more information for some of this stuff: Stay Another Day lists some of these and other organizations that are doing great things in Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam, including things like restaurants that train former street kids in restaurant work.

There are some terrible things going on in the world, but there are also some great people and organizations trying to better themselves and others in the face of those terrible things. Support them whenever you can.