New Hope Cambodia is a grass roots, hands on and non government organization.  “Whilst 'free education for all' is our priority, an important step in breaking the cycle of poverty, we cannot ignore the chronic malnutrition; ill health and appalling living conditions our students and families face every day”. 

In 2007 Soth Kemsour, an ex-Buddhist monk and son of a village chief, purchased land in Mondul 3 after it had been sold off by the army. He soon recognized that there was a desperate need for food, education and health care. Much to the dismay of his new wife, Kemsour sold every viable asset they had to build a small grass hut to serve as his classroom. Kemsour taught English and Japanese for three months and then, after a chance meeting with Queenslander Ms. Kerry Huntly, engaged her support and founded the New Hope Cambodia organization.

Many children in Mondul 3 village are left with only one parent or none at all, or with only a grandmother to raise them. Many fathers were killed whilst serving in the Cambodian Army, or since died of illness or disease. The most prevalent illnesses are severe malnutrition, H.I.V., Hepatitis, Typhoid, Tuberculosis and Dengue Fever. In fact with disease here being so widespread, the Government has made it mandatory for both parties to undergo full blood tests before marriage and before giving birth.

There are pockets of Army families living in grass huts on Government land in this Village. Fathers are still serving in the Army on border patrol and earning approximately US$30 per month to support their family of 6 - 8 people. Mothers remain at home to care for the children, without clean water or protection from the weather, as many homes desperately need re-roofing. 

Many homeless families are forced to build shanties on the roadside, which quickly turn into Slums with overcrowding. 

Families are surviving on rice water and salt, supplemented by the frogs and ants or water lilies they are able to collect. Some babies have existed purely on the water from boiled rice, as their starving mothers are unable to supply breast milk.  

There is no public school in the vicinity of the village for the children. They cannot afford transport to other schools, they have no money for books or uniforms and many are needed at home to mind younger siblings while their parent or older sibling attends work. 

To add to this problem many girls from outer rural areas are requested by their families to leave their homes and move to the town of Siem Reap in the hope of finding a job with adequate income to support themselves and send money home to their family. 

The majorities of these girls are illiterate and have no vocational skills.  Many quickly fall victim to the sex trade, realizing this is their only means of survival. Up to 300 girls live in this small village as entertainers or prostitutes. They earn approximately US$40 per month for their services. Many of the girls are then left with babies and young children of their own to raise and have no choice but to raise them in this same environment. These girls can have no future vision……. approximately half will die of disease at a very premature age.