Please help Babel Guesthouse survive COVID19

  • US$20,240
    raised of $20,000.00 goal goal
101% Funded
239 Donors
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BABEL Guesthouse need HELP to survive COVID19!

Angkor Wat is the reason we first came to Cambodia and also the main reason we are still here after more than 12 years. Walking around all alone in this majestic complex is stunning but at the same time it is heart breaking. Sadly it is also breaking down the local economy.

We are now into our third month of no visiting guests. We have gone to great lengths to cut our costs but with no end in sight we now feel we have no choice but to reach out for help to make it through this crisis.

All staff are now on reduced working hours and the Tuk Tuk drivers are all staying home as business is down to nothing. They all have families to support, and in many cases their income is the only one in the household as so many has lost their job because of the outbreak. To make it worse some have bank loans they need to pay back and are really starting to struggle to make ends meet.

We are so many people who are dependent on Babels survival. We are determined to make it through this crisis, but we need help!

We know we are not alone in this difficult time as so many around the world struggle the consequences of COVID19. We highly appreciate all donations, big or small, or if you can share this fundraising on social media to extend the outreach. Every dollar counts to help those who have no safety net what so ever.

You can donate via PayPal or debit/credit card directly through this site.

For those in Norway preferring to use Vipps, you can send your donations to John Daniel Solhaug 92244988

All funds raised will go towards securing a steady income for our staff and drivers in this difficult times and make sure Babel once again will be ready to welcome guests coming to explore the magic of Angkor Wat.

If you came across this and never heard of Babel Guesthouse before, here is our background story:

Babel Guesthouse is owned by the Norwegian couple Katrine and Simen who have been back and forth to Cambodia since 2007. They have a strong passion for Responsible Tourism, and have always run Babel Guesthouse with an active focus on giving back to the local society.

“We only hire local Staff and Tuk Tuk drivers who receive good working conditions, plenty of training, on site English lessons and the possibility to be sponsored with higher education trough Babel Education Program. We work together with several organizations and like-minded businesses to support the local community and protect the environment, and we try our best to pass on our knowledge to our guests so that their visit can benefit the local community.

We constantly seek ways to become more Eco-friendly. We use Bamboo straws in our restaurant, we use biodegradable rubbish bags in the rooms, we don’t sell plastic bottles and we offer free water for refill. We donate our used cooking oil to make it into biodiesel. And we buy it back and use it in our generator. We have implemented many initiatives over the years, you can read more here: https://www.babelsiemreap.com/environmental-initiatives

In 2018 we brought our concept to another level by opening up Cambodia's first Zero Waste Bulk store – Babel Eco-Shop and Refill Station. Our vision with our Eco-shop is to make it easier for travelers who wish to reduce their traveling footprint to choose plastic free alternatives. In our Eco-shop you´ll find various items perfect to bring on your travels or for your home. Everything is Eco-friendly and locally made – creating jobs!

We were a bit “sick and tired” of guests complaining about all the plastic pollution they see in Cambodia, claiming that the locals need more education. And at the same time they come back from the night marked with their hands full of plastic bags, plastic bottles and other unnecessary single use plastic items. We wanted the traveler to see that its time for THEM to see that they can actually do something themselves. There are so many options for you to use less plastic while traveling, and in your daily life. And it is really not that hard. We all just have to start thinking differently and change our habits.

It surprised us to see how quickly our shop became popular. We have learned that people WILL choose Eco-friendly if it is available for them. It is very motivating to see that people are willing to change their habits, people are willing to learn and people are positive to change. If we want a future on our planet, we have to do things differently.

To continue all this work - we need your help!"

Katrine and Simen


Rewards

Get a free beer on your next visit to the Babel Bar

2 Backers

Free bottle of wine next time you check in to Babel Guesthouse

3 Backers

Babel Eco Shop T-shirt

12 Backers

Babel Eco Shop Zero Waste set

4 Backers

Organizer

  • Katrine Solhaug
  •  
  • Campaign Owner

Donors

  • yoshiko kuroda
  • Donated on Aug 13, 2020
  • i had a great time with you. i wish to come and visit again. i want to share some what i've got helped. take care!

$100.00
  • Cindy Taylor
  • Donated on Aug 12, 2020
  • Stayed at this place and loved it. The owners and staff were wonderful and looking forward to coming back when we can travel overseas again.

$50.00
  • Julien Gerbet
  • Donated on Aug 12, 2020
  • Hi Katrine!!! Here is our little contribution. Hope everything is fine with the Babel staff. Stay safe! The documentary is about to be released. Stay tuned!!!

$30.00
Dec 16

A Christmas presents that matters

Update posted by Katrine Solhaug at 03:38 am

We managed to reach our goal of this campaign, and we are forever grateful! BUT the situation is way worse than we first imagined. We still have an empty guesthouse, and tourism does not look good for next year either. SO... we are looking into other ways to earn an. . . . .

See update
0
Aug 21

WE DID IT!

Update posted by Katrine Solhaug at 08:49 am

We reached our goal - to raise $20.000! PLUS another $20.000 on a Norwegian account. With these donations we have created jobs, provided meals and donated rice. Now we will continue creating jobs by finishing up what we have started in our garden, but also by developing our Eco-shop. We. . . . .

See update
0
Aug 07

Meet Sarun and his Family

Update posted by Katrine Solhaug at 02:30 pm

Sarun has been with us at Babel Guesthouse since the very beginning. He started as a bartender with little English. He is now the General Manager managing the whole guesthouse and taking care of our Eco-shop - Babel Eco-shop and Refill Station. Sarun has been sponsored through our Education Program. . . . .

See update
0
Aug 05

Meet Sopha and her Family

Update posted by Katrine Solhaug at 02:03 pm

Sopha has been with us at Babel from the very first start. She started as housekeeping staff, with no English knowledge. Now she is one of our most important staff taking care of the kitchen and training all new housekeeping staff. Her English is fluent, after being sponsored through our. . . . .

See update
0
Aug 03

Help us create jobs!

Update posted by Katrine Solhaug at 01:32 pm

Last week was HUGE! One of our lovely Tuk Tuk drivers Mr Chart was hired by One Family at a Time to fill up his van with rice, vegetables and mosquito nets to donate to 300 families in the countryside. They saw our video of Mr Chart without a job,. . . . .

See update
0
Jul 30

New end-date for our Fundraising Campaign

Update posted by Katrine Solhaug at 04:50 am

It´s been some rough weeks at Babel, where we had to focus ALL our time on finding solutions to our new crisis!The government in Cambodia has decided to take the opportunity of no tourism to upgrade the infrastructure in Siem Reap, and our little sleepy street will become a proper. . . . .

See update
0
Jul 28

Babel got hit by yet another crisis!

Update posted by Katrine Solhaug at 07:08 am

In the middle of trying to survive COVID-19, Babel got hit by ANOTHER crisis. Should we just give up? Of course not! We have manpower in all Staff and Tuk Tuk drivers who we can give jobs because of funding from the fundraising. So a huge THANX to everyone who

See update
0
Jul 22

Meet Mr Chart and his Family

Update posted by Katrine Solhaug at 08:44 am

Mr Chart has been a Tuk Tuk driver at Babel for over a decade. He lives far out in the Cambodian countryside, near the oldest temples of the Angkor era.Mr Chart recently invested in a Taxi Van to better be able to support his big and lovely family. But right

See update
0
Jul 12

Meet Mr Va and his Family

Update posted by Katrine Solhaug at 04:08 am

Mr Va has been a Tuk Tuk driver at Babel Guesthouse for over a decade. He lives in a house in the countryside with his wife and three boys. They help taking care of his wife´s mother who has been ill for more than 20 years. Every year in rainy. . . . .

See update
0
Jul 09

On Norwegian Radio about our situation at Babel Guesthouse and Cambodia in general

Update posted by Katrine Solhaug at 07:24 am

This is an interview on Norwegian radio of Katrine Solhaug - about the situation in Cambodia right now, during COVID-19, and how we at Babel Guesthouse are coping with the problem, how we are trying to survive this crisis.

See update
0
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Donors & Comments

239 donors
  • yoshiko kuroda
  • Donated on Aug 13, 2020
  • i had a great time with you. i wish to come and visit again. i want to share some what i've got helped. take care!

$100.00
  • Cindy Taylor
  • Donated on Aug 12, 2020
  • Stayed at this place and loved it. The owners and staff were wonderful and looking forward to coming back when we can travel overseas again.

$50.00
  • Julien Gerbet
  • Donated on Aug 12, 2020
  • Hi Katrine!!! Here is our little contribution. Hope everything is fine with the Babel staff. Stay safe! The documentary is about to be released. Stay tuned!!!

$30.00
  • Jean-Vincent Tran
  • Donated on Aug 12, 2020
  • We enjoyed our moment in Babel guesthouse but more importantly, people working there were very welcoming and we could feel their goodheart.

$10.00
  • Anonymous
  • Donated on Aug 11, 2020
$50.00
  • Chris & Caro Stange
  • Donated on Aug 10, 2020
  • We were with you on New Year's Eve 2013 at Babels Guesthouse. And even if my memories are a bit limited thanks to fish poisoning, we enjoyed our stay very much! Thank you for your great work on site and hopefully we will see you again soon. Will need a family room by now... ;-)

$30.00
  • Guest
  • Donated on Aug 10, 2020
$10.00
  • Maja Stabel
  • Donated on Aug 10, 2020
$20.00
  • Anonymous
  • Donated on Aug 10, 2020
$50.00
  • Guest
  • Donated on Aug 10, 2020
$20.00
Show more donors

Followers

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US$20,240
raised of $20,000.00 goal
101% Funded
239 Donors