2h project

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What has happened? February 2008
What has happened when a person who in one week was earning less than a dollar a day and in the following week is running his own business, making ten times his previous income and talking of plans to already expand the operation, … what has happened?

On this occasion it was micro finance, an interest free loan that helped establish a family in their brand new haulage business. Similar vision and endeavor have followed the restoration of a person’s eye sight or free English classes or a new home being built or access to fresh drinking water or clean clothes and a sack full of rice being donated.

But the principle is the same – help ignites hope.

It’s What We Call Hope February 2008
The world is a wonderful place, it just gets a little rugged at times.

It’s during those moments that a picture of tomorrow is what can sustain us. I’m reminded of a trip in a Land Rover I took in Cambodia. A vehicle designed to seat 8 but on this occasion (not unusually) 13 were on board, plus medical supplies and luggage. For what seemed like forever my head vibrated recklessly against the rear window, paralysis set in and the onboard temperature rose beyond hot as the oxygen level dropped below safe.

It was contorted in the back of that vehicle that I had to believe I wasn’t going to be stuck in that place for forever.

It’s what we call hope.

See for Yourself February 2008
1.2% of Cambodians are blind, in 1999 a SEVA survey identified the number at 136,800, 80-90% of these cases are treatable and curable; compounding this, Cambodia has only three eye surgeons.

In 2004 The 2h Project became aware of the widespread prevalence of preventable blindness in Cambodia. Dust, continuous exposure to high UV levels and lack of clean washing water make eye disease a common problem.

Over the past 2 years a partnership between The 2h Project and Dr Ek Sarou of the Battambang Optical Clinic (BOC) has resulted in hundreds of cataract surgeries and pterygium removals being performed. These procedures have given sight to the blind for so many of the poor in remote villages but have meant real benefit for their families and communities also.

In a nation where there are an estimated 20,000 new cases of cataract disease identified each year along with a backlog of 80,000 cases and a health system that can only afford to spend less than $2US a year per capita on health care the problem needs a significant and strategic response.

Along with Dr Sarou’s plans to continue free screenings, assessments and subsidized surgeries for the poor surrounding Battambang he also hopes to start a further eye care service to care for the demand in more remote regions and neighboring provinces. (map of target area).

More Than Phones Go Mobile February 2008
For many people living in remote communities in Cambodia both the affordability and accessibility of services keep health care beyond the reach of the average person.

Recently BOC and The 2h Project have developed an exciting and innovative plan to launch a Mobile Eye Clinic. (MEC)

The proposed clinic will deliver the latest professional eye care to locations where services have never been before, actively taking the battle against preventable blindness to where it is really needed. The MEC represents a new model of eye care to Cambodia, the first of its kind!

The MEC will not only be instrumental in reducing the present cataract backlog but also function as a powerful platform to educate community leaders, families and children on good practices for personal eye care and hygiene, prevention is always better than cure! The service will go a long way in helping avoid further cases of unnecessary blindness and poor vision through establishing and training a community referral and information network.

The cost to provide the service including vehicles, expatriate opthalmologists, ophthalmic equipment/materials, support staff, freight, maintenance and running costs is estimated at $211,000US. This represents the largest single fundraising challenge The 2h Project has ever taken on!

Please be a part of seeing the Mobile Eye Clinic in operation by the planned start date of June 2007. A donation to The 2h Project for this exciting venture is tax deductible and can help make a miraculous difference to the lives of so many.

Keep your eyes open for ways you can do the same for someone else!

You Can Huff and Puff February 2008
But you will not blow this house down! There’s a big difference to a house that’s almost ready to fall over and one made of bricks!

Just over 12 months ago one of our 2h teams were involved in helping shift 23 rickety bamboo huts from one piece of high rent property to another on an adjacent block. The families involved showed incredible resilience and dignity having been bounced from one block of land to the next for the past 5 years.
There’s nothing wrong with a traditional Cambodian dwelling but when they’re repeatedly shifted and made from minimal and inferior materials they tend to fall apart!

Half way through 2006 a generous financial offer was made to help this small and poor community. The gift made it possible to purchase land and have brand new brick homes built for each of the families. The work is now completed. The finished village includes a large, undercover community meeting place as a centre courtyard surrounded by four rows of houses. Each of the houses has its own toilet and wash area. The village has a well and pump for fresh drinking and washing water. The location is close enough to busy Phnom Penh for the families to gain work and for the children to go to school.

It was a memorable and humble experience to be led from house to house by the happiest people you could ever imagine.

Poverty might have tried to blow these families over, but thanks to an incredible gift and the houses of bricks the impossible became a reality and nearly 100 people are now building for the future!

From Wasteland to Oasis February 2008
It’s hard to imagine a family of six standing in the corner of a leaking hut (no bigger than an average lounge room) trying to get some sleep and stay dry at the same time.

Pirhum loves his family; his mother and father and three younger siblings. He is 16 years old. 12 months ago Pirhum had had enough of the pain of poverty.

It was about that time that 2h was able to relocate Pirhum and his family from a small sun baked allotment in a closely populated village to a large block of land with water source, orange grove, banana palms and rich soil to grow their own vegetables.
The family’s broken down home has now been converted to the chicken coop and replaced with a beautiful, timber, traditional dwelling, one that keeps the rain out!

The block has had a few changes in the last year; the number of banana palms has increased ten fold, sugar cane now surrounds the perimeter, the orange trees have grown and the small water catchment has been made three times the size, not to mention an assortment of local fruits and vegetables that fill the gaps – all due to the ingenuity and hard work of a family giving a fighting chance.

Pirhum and his family are now prospering. He studies hard at school, takes extra English classes in the evening, is in a local soccer team, he is healthier and happier than ever before – like the environment he lives in, he is truly alive!

Ready to Grow February 2008
It seems everyone loves the humble potato and land in the north-west of Cambodia has soil rich in opportunity for this little vegie.

Recently The 2h Project was made aware of land being sold to wealthy developers. The developers buy the land from people who are cash poor and resell the property at a premium. Land prices continue to rise under this trend leaving the average Cambodian more and more vulnerable to the grip of poverty.

Plans are presently being worked by The 2h Project to provide finance to purchase land in the region. The undertaking would allow for local people to farm Cambodian potato crops with markets for the harvest already available in neighboring Thailand. Local communities can prosper through this investment, cooperatives can be formed to own and manage the property and profits can be put back into creating further agriculture and small business development.

The initial cash investment for this project is a sizable one. 2h needs to raise approximately $85,000AUS for the local organisation to buy the land. But with the promise of long term sustainability at stake the goal is well worth the effort.
Contact us today to donate to this ground breaking initiative.

I Have a Dream February 2008
Tucked away miles into the Cambodian countryside is a school teacher dedicated to building a school with open doors to the poorest of kids.

Chidan was studying in Phnom Penh to become a teacher, his plan was to complete his studies and take up a well paid position in the naton’s capital. But it was during his class time at university that he came upon a story of social reform in America. Deeply touched by the notion that every child no matter what their station in life deserves the right to a proper education Chidan made a decision to return to his province and open a school where children were welcomed no matter what they could afford. He’s invested his life to give these kids the best education money can’t buy!

Chidan has rented a property in the district centre, borrowed the money to build classrooms and employs four other teachers to help teach the one hundred children enrolled in the school. Most recently he’s built a special computer classroom that doubles as a place for him to sleep each night; part security, part necessity!

The 2h Project has made a commitment to raise funds or equipment to replace the old computers currently being used at the school. We’re also hoping to help Chidan and his staff with other school resources and the finance needed to make the school as successful as possible. If you’re interested in helping be part of the team that makes dreams come true then contact us today! We’d love to hear from you.



		Archive What has happened? February 2008 What has happened when a person who in one week was earning less than a dollar a day and in the following week is running his own business, making ten times his previous income and talking of plans to already expand the operation, … what has happened? On this occasion it was micro finance, an interest free loan that helped establish a family in their brand new haulage business. Similar vision and endeavor have followed the restoration of a person’s eye sight or free English classes or a new home being built or access to fresh drinking water or clean clothes and a sack full of rice being donated. But the principle is the same – help ignites hope. It’s What We Call Hope February 2008 The world is a wonderful place, it just gets a little rugged at times. It’s during those moments that a picture of tomorrow is what can sustain us. I’m reminded of a trip in a Land Rover I took in Cambodia. A vehicle designed to seat 8 but on this occasion (not unusually) 13 were on board, plus medical supplies and luggage. For what seemed like forever my head vibrated recklessly against the rear window, paralysis set in and the onboard temperature rose beyond hot as the oxygen level dropped below safe. It was contorted in the back of that vehicle that I had to believe I wasn’t going to be stuck in that place for forever. It’s what we call hope. See for Yourself February 2008 1.2% of Cambodians are blind, in 1999 a SEVA survey identified the number at 136,800, 80-90% of these cases are treatable and curable; compounding this, Cambodia has only three eye surgeons. In 2004 The 2h Project became aware of the widespread prevalence of preventable blindness in Cambodia. Dust, continuous exposure to high UV levels and lack of clean washing water make eye disease a common problem. Over the past 2 years a partnership between The 2h Project and Dr Ek Sarou of the Battambang Optical Clinic (BOC) has resulted in hundreds of cataract surgeries and pterygium removals being performed. These procedures have given sight to the blind for so many of the poor in remote villages but have meant real benefit for their families and communities also. In a nation where there are an estimated 20,000 new cases of cataract disease identified each year along with a backlog of 80,000 cases and a health system that can only afford to spend less than $2US a year per capita on health care the problem needs a significant and strategic response. Along with Dr Sarou’s plans to continue free screenings, assessments and subsidized surgeries for the poor surrounding Battambang he also hopes to start a further eye care service to care for the demand in more remote regions and neighboring provinces. (map of target area). More Than Phones Go Mobile February 2008 For many people living in remote communities in Cambodia both the affordability and accessibility of services keep health care beyond the reach of the average person. Recently BOC and The 2h Project have developed an exciting and innovative plan to launch a Mobile Eye Clinic. (MEC) The proposed clinic will deliver the latest professional eye care to locations where services have never been before, actively taking the battle against preventable blindness to where it is really needed. The MEC represents a new model of eye care to Cambodia, the first of its kind! The MEC will not only be instrumental in reducing the present cataract backlog but also function as a powerful platform to educate community leaders, families and children on good practices for personal eye care and hygiene, prevention is always better than cure! The service will go a long way in helping avoid further cases of unnecessary blindness and poor vision through establishing and training a community referral and information network. The cost to provide the service including vehicles, expatriate opthalmologists, ophthalmic equipment/materials, support staff, freight, maintenance and running costs is estimated at $211,000US. This represents the largest single fundraising challenge The 2h Project has ever taken on! Please be a part of seeing the Mobile Eye Clinic in operation by the planned start date of June 2007. A donation to The 2h Project for this exciting venture is tax deductible and can help make a miraculous difference to the lives of so many. Keep your eyes open for ways you can do the same for someone else! You Can Huff and Puff February 2008 But you will not blow this house down! There’s a big difference to a house that’s almost ready to fall over and one made of bricks! Just over 12 months ago one of our 2h teams were involved in helping shift 23 rickety bamboo huts from one piece of high rent property to another on an adjacent block. The families involved showed incredible resilience and dignity having been bounced from one block of land to the next for the past 5 years. There’s nothing wrong with a traditional Cambodian dwelling but when they’re repeatedly shifted and made from minimal and inferior materials they tend to fall apart! Half way through 2006 a generous financial offer was made to help this small and poor community. The gift made it possible to purchase land and have brand new brick homes built for each of the families. The work is now completed. The finished village includes a large, undercover community meeting place as a centre courtyard surrounded by four rows of houses. Each of the houses has its own toilet and wash area. The village has a well and pump for fresh drinking and washing water. The location is close enough to busy Phnom Penh for the families to gain work and for the children to go to school. It was a memorable and humble experience to be led from house to house by the happiest people you could ever imagine. Poverty might have tried to blow these families over, but thanks to an incredible gift and the houses of bricks the impossible became a reality and nearly 100 people are now building for the future! From Wasteland to Oasis February 2008 It’s hard to imagine a family of six standing in the corner of a leaking hut (no bigger than an average lounge room) trying to get some sleep and stay dry at the same time. Pirhum loves his family; his mother and father and three younger siblings. He is 16 years old. 12 months ago Pirhum had had enough of the pain of poverty. It was about that time that 2h was able to relocate Pirhum and his family from a small sun baked allotment in a closely populated village to a large block of land with water source, orange grove, banana palms and rich soil to grow their own vegetables. The family’s broken down home has now been converted to the chicken coop and replaced with a beautiful, timber, traditional dwelling, one that keeps the rain out! The block has had a few changes in the last year; the number of banana palms has increased ten fold, sugar cane now surrounds the perimeter, the orange trees have grown and the small water catchment has been made three times the size, not to mention an assortment of local fruits and vegetables that fill the gaps – all due to the ingenuity and hard work of a family giving a fighting chance. Pirhum and his family are now prospering. He studies hard at school, takes extra English classes in the evening, is in a local soccer team, he is healthier and happier than ever before – like the environment he lives in, he is truly alive! Ready to Grow February 2008 It seems everyone loves the humble potato and land in the north-west of Cambodia has soil rich in opportunity for this little vegie. Recently The 2h Project was made aware of land being sold to wealthy developers. The developers buy the land from people who are cash poor and resell the property at a premium. Land prices continue to rise under this trend leaving the average Cambodian more and more vulnerable to the grip of poverty. Plans are presently being worked by The 2h Project to provide finance to purchase land in the region. The undertaking would allow for local people to farm Cambodian potato crops with markets for the harvest already available in neighboring Thailand. Local communities can prosper through this investment, cooperatives can be formed to own and manage the property and profits can be put back into creating further agriculture and small business development. The initial cash investment for this project is a sizable one. 2h needs to raise approximately $85,000AUS for the local organisation to buy the land. But with the promise of long term sustainability at stake the goal is well worth the effort. Contact us today to donate to this ground breaking initiative. I Have a Dream February 2008 Tucked away miles into the Cambodian countryside is a school teacher dedicated to building a school with open doors to the poorest of kids. Chidan was studying in Phnom Penh to become a teacher, his plan was to complete his studies and take up a well paid position in the naton’s capital. But it was during his class time at university that he came upon a story of social reform in America. Deeply touched by the notion that every child no matter what their station in life deserves the right to a proper education Chidan made a decision to return to his province and open a school where children were welcomed no matter what they could afford. He’s invested his life to give these kids the best education money can’t buy! Chidan has rented a property in the district centre, borrowed the money to build classrooms and employs four other teachers to help teach the one hundred children enrolled in the school. Most recently he’s built a special computer classroom that doubles as a place for him to sleep each night; part security, part necessity! The 2h Project has made a commitment to raise funds or equipment to replace the old computers currently being used at the school. We’re also hoping to help Chidan and his staff with other school resources and the finance needed to make the school as successful as possible. If you’re interested in helping be part of the team that makes dreams come true then contact us today! We’d love to hear from you. Home About us Projects News Getting involved Contact Copyright©2007 The 2h Project