Caring Causes: Caring for Cambodia

Disclosure: I received complimentary products to facilitate this post. All opinions are my own.

When an eight-year-old Cambodian girl approached Jamie C. Amelio and asked for a dollar so she could afford to go to school, Amelio was skeptical. It was the first time she was in Cambodia, and the rampant poverty was shocking - whole towns without plumbing or electricity. Worried it was just a line from a beggar, she told the girl to take her to the school and she'd give her the dollar. At the school were 75 students in one room, sharing broken pieces of a pencil, and with a teacher who didn't show up - and the students had to pay to go. She details the whole store in Graced with Orange, a heart-wrenching yet inspiring book. Not only does it provide information about her own reasons for creating Caring for Cambodia, but it also gives background on building a charity and school system out of nothing. CFC builds schools and provides a safe environment with motivated teachers. In Jamie's work to help Cambodian children, her own marriage and family became stronger. 

As a teacher, it's appalling what education conditions are like in some areas around the world. It's inspiring to me that instead of becoming discouraged at the immense amount of work that needs to be done, there are people like Jamie taking that step, helping whatever children they can.

CFC continues to build on the initial premise that every child deserves an education by supporting existing schools, building new ones in the same district and implementing teacher training along with identifying mentor teachers. Along the way other essential programs have evolved: Make a Difference trips to build homes for student families, Life Skills programs and continued follow up and support for local teachers as they deliver the curriculum provided by the Cambodian government. Health and Dental to teach students important basic hygiene, and Food For Thought to make certain every child in every CFC school receives two healthy meals each day. In addition to these key programs CFC has helped provide clean water to the schools and communities; donated essential school supplies and even provided bicycles to those students who must travel long distances each day to attend school.

Jamie is a three-time recipient of the prestigious “Golden Hand Service Award” bestowed by the Cambodian government (2005, 2010, 2012) to those who give outstanding service to the Cambodian community. Known as “The Lawn Mower” because she never lets grass grow under her feet, Amelio was a dedicated volunteer with various organizations long before beginning the Caring for Cambodia project detailed in Graced with Orange. She and her husband, Bill, lived in Asia for a decade. They now make their home in Austin, Texas with their six children, including two from Cambodia, all of whom understand the importance of "Being Orange."