CHA – Cambodia

Our Story:

CHA (Cambodian Handicrafts Association) has been helping landmine victims and polio sufferers in Cambodia for 19 years. CHA teaches sewing and other life-skills to help them start their own business.

Due to a lack of funds we are now in real danger of having to close our doors.

Please help us reach our 20th anniversary and beyond!!!

Who is CHA?

CHA was created in 2000 by Mr Kim Tha. Having fled to Pursat Province during the atrocities, he returned to his beloved city to provide disabled people with employment, education, housing and a brighter future. He created the Cambodian Handicrafts Association for Landmine and Polio Disabled (CHA) to provide a place where survivors of Polio and Landmines could learn the skills to lead better lives.

The women in the CHA program travel in from outlying villages and live onsite while learning. They are trained in sewing, English, life skills and are given ongoing assistance to start their own families and lead happy, fulfilled lives. The silk we use also supports villages that produce and weave the fabrics.

So far, CHA has directly helped over 300 women. Remember, that on average, if you help one woman in Cambodia you are also benefiting 4 other people in their family.

But there’s a problem....

Until now, CHA has successfully supported ourselves without outside funding. However due to increasing development in Phnom Penh, in the last 5 years their rent has increased from US$600 to US$1,400 per month. Because of this, we are now unable to take in new participants as the funds are simply not there to provide for them.

We currently have a large waiting list of women who would love the opportunity to live independently and not feel a burden to their families, who already struggle to survive.

What will the donations be used for?

100% of your donation goes directly to CHA.

Your generous donations will go to paying for rent, food, water, electricity and fund additional places for more women to go through our program. We hope that one day they will marry, have their own families and income from their own business.

We want our participants to play a fulfilling role in society and to inspire them to feel they have much to contribute to their families and the world.

In addition, almost 6 mths ago, CHA adopted an abandoned baby boy. We named him Ly Cha. After being unable to find him a home, we decided we had to take on his care. Although this gives Ly Cha a loving, caring place to live and gives our young women experience in child rearing, it also gives us the additional financial burden of his care. Please click this link to read The Story of Ly Cha and our decision to adopt him.

Please help us :

We are seeking to raise US$15,000 to cover rent, food, utilities, care for Ly Cha and to take in more women already on our waiting list. Our sewing machines are more than 20 years old and some need to be modified to suit certain disabilities.

With your assistance CHA will be able to increase production, seek to move to a new more affordable location and to continue our great work.

Please give generously so CHA can reach our 20th anniversary and continue our work into the future.

For more information, go to >>>

Website: http://www.cha-cambodia.org

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CHAcambodia