Category: Projects We Support

(August 2025)

Nestled between Phnom Penh and the southern coast, the Cambodian Homestay in Prey Theat started as a small cultural exchange by Linda Meas, her family, and friends from New Zealand. Over time, it grew into a place that celebrates hospitality, culture, and women’s empowerment.

In 2013, with encouragement from Paul Gill of Sonas World, the Meas family launched The Weavers Project—giving local women skills and fair income through weaving. Today, more than 500 handwoven cotton scarves are made each month, with women earning 35% of the wholesale price. What began as training has now expanded into a homestay, a weaving cooperative, and even a free after-school center for 100+ children. Some of the weavers’ daughters are now at university, inspiring the next generation.

This year, the project and WCF decided to shift from supporting just two scholarships to creating wider impact. The new plan includes:

• Strengthening the cooperative’s capacity

• Starting a spinning & natural dyeing workshop (employing 4–5 more women)

• Adding a yarn twisting machine for new products

• Growing organic cotton (involving 5–10 more families)

• Continuing scholarships and motivating children to study further

The Weavers Project now inspires other grassroots efforts, supports over 125 women nationwide, and welcomes 500+ visitors each year. More than weaving scarves, it’s weaving dignity, education, and opportunity into daily life.

(June 2025)

In Kratie Province, the Dolphin School of English—run by the Khmer Association for Development of Countryside—has been a lifeline for underprivileged children since 2016, especially girls who face the toughest barriers to education. Today, more than 170 children, including 105 girls, benefit from free English lessons, personal development opportunities, and the confidence to dream of brighter futures.

The school is far more than a classroom. It is a safe space where hope flourishes, where past students return as teachers, and where each lesson chips away at the cycle of poverty. In 2024, with support from WCF, new latrines and a handwashing area were built, ensuring better hygiene and health for all.

Yet the need continues to grow. Classrooms are overflowing, and to welcome 35 more students next year, two additional rooms must be renovated. With WCF’s help, these bare walls can become vibrant, welcoming spaces—gateways to opportunity, safety, and lasting change.