Fairmont Empress in Cambodia
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Last week, my partner and I returned from Cambodia, and I want to share with you a nice story about the Empress Hotel.
We are "Second Fathers" to two university students in Cambodia and we went to Cambodia last month for the sole purpose of visiting the two young men and their families. They are unrelated but share a common birthday, although one year apart, so we able to celebrate their birthday as well.
At the family home of one of them, Sophurst, there was a photograph of the Empress Hotel on the wall taken from a magazine. There were less than a dozen photographs of sites around the world on the wall, and I was struck to see the iconic image from my home town, Victoria.
By way of background, Sophurst is the oldest of six children. His mother is a widow, as Sophurst's father died of internal injuries when he fell from a sugar palm tree when Sophurst was in Grade 10. The family is poor, although they do own a house and small rice field. The second oldest son has taken over many of the responsibilities of maintaining the house and garden, in order for Sophurst to go to university.
I met Sophurst when I did volunteer legal work last winter in Phnom Penh. He turned 22 years old last month and is in his second year of studies in structural engineering at Praskosamakk Polytechnic Institute, Phnom Penh, Cambodia. He is a top student and would like eventually to study in North America, Europe or Korea. My partner and I have undertaken to help Sophurst achieve his dreams by paying his university fees and related expenses, and by giving him a monthly living allowance.
I have attached two photos, one of me and Sophurst in front of the photo of the Empress Hotel that hangs on the wall of his family's home and one of the home itself. Sophurst's family lives in Kampong Chhnang, Cambodia - yet a photo of the Empress Hotel brightens up their modest home 11,000 kilometres from Victoria!
To read Longdy's story click here
We are "Second Fathers" to two university students in Cambodia and we went to Cambodia last month for the sole purpose of visiting the two young men and their families. They are unrelated but share a common birthday, although one year apart, so we able to celebrate their birthday as well.
At the family home of one of them, Sophurst, there was a photograph of the Empress Hotel on the wall taken from a magazine. There were less than a dozen photographs of sites around the world on the wall, and I was struck to see the iconic image from my home town, Victoria.
By way of background, Sophurst is the oldest of six children. His mother is a widow, as Sophurst's father died of internal injuries when he fell from a sugar palm tree when Sophurst was in Grade 10. The family is poor, although they do own a house and small rice field. The second oldest son has taken over many of the responsibilities of maintaining the house and garden, in order for Sophurst to go to university.
I met Sophurst when I did volunteer legal work last winter in Phnom Penh. He turned 22 years old last month and is in his second year of studies in structural engineering at Praskosamakk Polytechnic Institute, Phnom Penh, Cambodia. He is a top student and would like eventually to study in North America, Europe or Korea. My partner and I have undertaken to help Sophurst achieve his dreams by paying his university fees and related expenses, and by giving him a monthly living allowance.
I have attached two photos, one of me and Sophurst in front of the photo of the Empress Hotel that hangs on the wall of his family's home and one of the home itself. Sophurst's family lives in Kampong Chhnang, Cambodia - yet a photo of the Empress Hotel brightens up their modest home 11,000 kilometres from Victoria!
To read Longdy's story click here
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