The Sharing Foundation

Last year, I raised money on my blog so our family could sponsor Leng Sopharath,an orphan from Kampong Speu orphanage. My family has sponsored her college costs for her freshman and sophomore years.

Shejust entered her junior year at Norton University with a major inaccounting! Our family is not wealthy, so coming up with the $1,000donation to the Sharing Foundation is a stretch. That's why I'm askingfor your help. I'm hoping to get 100 Facebook friends (or theirfriends) to donate $10 and spread the word to their networks. If we eachdo a little, we can send Leng Sopharath to college.

This is lessthan two Star Bucks lattes. To make it more enticing, if you are amongthe first 30 to contribute, I'll add you as a top friend on my Facebook profile. All contributors will be graciously thanked on my blog.


Overthe summer, I had an opportunity to meet her in person. In her dormroom, she had photos of our family and my letters to her on the wall. Shespoke about how much our support makes a difference in her life.

The college sponsorship program is managed by The Sharing Foundation,asmall nonprofit organization with programs designed to helpmeet the physical,emotional, educational, and medical needs of orphanedand seriously-disadvantaged children in Cambodia. I've been involved as avolunteer or board member for the past 7 years. I'm also a donor.

Acornerstone project of the Sharing Foundation istheRoteang Orphanage,built in 2000, which represents a new standard ofcare for children,over half of whom have HIV/AIDS, cerebral palsy orcongenital abnormalities and will remain in the Foundation' scareindefinitely.Over the past eight years, the focus of the Foundation'smission haswidened from offering not only medical care fororphansandother needychildren but educational, vocational, safe waterandcommunity development programs.

The Foundation has ncreasinglyfocused its efforts on ways to create and improve educationalopportunities for Cambodian children of allages, including public schoolprojects, pre-school, Khmer literacy,English language instruction, highschool and college sponsorships,and vocational training. Over 1,300children in Cambodia receive educational support every day as a result ofThe Sharing Foundation initiatives. These projects present what might bethe only means forthe most disadvantaged children to lift themselves, aswell as their families, out of povertyconditions, become self-reliant andlead more productive, hopeful lives.

The Sharing Foundation's high school and college student sponsorshipsare some of the most popular donor opportunities, with approximately 50students being sponsored this year. Individuals, families, or communitygroups can choose to sponsor a Cambodian student by making acontribution to the Sharing Foundation which in turn covers thecost of the student's collegeor high school fees and living expenses. Inaddition to money, thesponsor provides emotional support andencouragement through regular letters and photographs that are exchangedbetween the sponsor and thestudent quarterly.