Bridge of Life School is a not-for-profit organisation providing free educational and community-based programming at rural sites in the Cambodian countryside.
I came to know about Bridge of Life School when my wife and I were in Siem Reap and went on a tour to the Kompong Khleang floating village.
More details on the tour can be found below:
What we saw during the tour was a true eye-opener.
The houses in the village were built on stilts and there were no proper living conditions for the people. It was a sharp contrast to the high-quality of life we have in Singapore.
Below are some photos of how the place looks like:
The profits from the tour are channelled towards Bridge of Life School, which in turn helps the people of Kompong Khleang floating village.
As you may have already guessed, the Covid-19 pandemic has really hit the tourism industry in Cambodia, which Bridge of Life relies on to sustain its programmes. For instance, Angkor Archaeological Park, which houses the world-famous Temple of Angkor Wat, saw its April 2020 revenue drop a massive 99.5%.
Furthermore, 2,865 tourism businesses in the country have been suspended or closed, affecting 46,369 employees. A report by the ADB estimates that Cambodia will suffer a US$850 million loss in its tourism sector.
Unfortunately, Siem Reap does not have a diverse economy — it is almost wholly tourism driven — and it has affected everyone in unexpected ways. Its residents, therefore, bear the brunt of the Covid-19 hurt.
Tour participation at Kompong Khleang Floating Village Tours declined 68% in March and 100% in April. The management doesn’t expect that there will be a recovery in the near-term.
As a result, it is experiencing a critical funding shortfall that is impacting the lives of so many vulnerable staff and their families.
Here is an official emergency appeal for financial support from Bridge of Life School.
If you would like to donate to Bridge of Life School amid this trying situation, you can donate via the link below:
Thank you for your attention and your kind donation. Any amount will help towards sustaining the humanitarian efforts in Kompong Khleang.
SudhanP.com 