Dignity and Hope Foundation, Cambodia

What We Do

The Dignity and Hope Foundation, Cambodia (DHF) is a UK based charity, founded in 2013 by four English women who had independently visited the country at various times from 2003. We were inspired by a number of Christian Cambodians, committed to helping some of Cambodia’s poorest children. We saw how far a few dollars could go towards making a positive difference and we wanted to support their work. There are several Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) in Cambodia, working with a certain degree of success at piecing together a country that was traumatised by the Khmer Rouge, and the country’s economy is now on the rise which is encouraging. However, the rural regions are still desperately poor. There is often no clean water, no latrines or sewage system, education is barely existent and food is scarce. DHF aims to send small donations to two organisations, Ihope and New Hope School, both of which are run by Christian Cambodians we know personally and who we are confident are reaching some of the poorest communities. The directors of these organisations do not have the literacy skills or networking capacity to obtain funding from the large NGOs, and it is for this reason that DHF is committed to helping them.

IHOPE is a local Christian non-profit organisation that was founded in 2019 by a group of Cambodian believers who have shared passion, vision and calling to see vulnerable and marginalised children’s lives reach their God given potential. IHope currently works in Beantay Meanchey province on the Thai-Cambodia border. Communities in this region have been identified as being particularly at risk from the effects of migration locally and internationally and IHope’s project ‘Holistic Restoration for Children’ was set up in response to this. The project has 2 main approaches: 1) Child Sponsorship; 5 local churches are empowered to support particularly vulnerable children in their communities to remain in education through the provision of food packages, school supplies and water filters, and 2) the Saving Program, a co-operative scheme to support communities in managing and saving money longer term The Director of IHope is Phon Chanthorn, whom DHF Trustees have known for many years.

Trustees

Philippa Blowfield

Co-Founder and Treasurer of DHF Cambodia

Following my visit with Sally in 2012, we decided to set up The Dignity and Hope Foundation. SE Asia has always had a special place in my heart ever since I visited in 1996 as part of my medical training. The Cambodian people I met on my first visit were so inspirational that I knew I had to support them and their projects to help their people and country. Cambodia has a rich and ancient culture which I have enjoyed exploring and I look forward to watching the country develop.

Sally Robertson

Sally Robertson Co-founder and Chairperson

Following a 10 day visit to Cambodia in 2010, where I was on a team taking medical care to poor people in the provinces of Cambodia, I spent 2 years wrestling with how I could respond to the ‘do something’ that was permanently present in my mind as a result of what I’d seen. So in 2012 I persuaded 2 girlfriends to accompany me back to Cambodia to visit with the organisation I had worked with in 2010, asking God what he wanted us to do. How could we support such work with the poorest of the poor in Cambodia from the other side of the world? The result of that week was that Philippa and I, and 2 other friends set up The Dignity & Hope Foundation, Cambodia. Through it we contribute funds, and encourage prayer, for the projects we are supporting, helping them know they are not alone and that there are people around the world who love them, and encouraging them in their work supporting the poorest of the poor in Cambodia, enabling people to live with dignity and hope, instead of poverty and despair.

Claire Lacey

Secretary of DHF Cambodia

My first trip to Cambodia was in 2003, when I visited with Tearfund and worked with the Children at Risk Facilitator on a project to teach young people about HIV/AIDS. I stayed in touch with the wonderful man Sophany Pang, who translated for me at that time, and who later started his own charity to support vulnerable children. I wanted to find ways of supporting Cambodian Christians, and it was Sophany who put me in touch with Sally Corfe in 2012. Sally, Philippa Blowfield, Jenny Clamp and I, set up The Dignity and Hope Foundation in 2013 to partner with small local Cambodian organisations who we believe to be making a big difference in caring for some of the most vulnerable people in this beautiful country.