Last year if you were walking around the relocation camp of the Borei Keila community you would realize that you are were in a displacement camp. People were living in wooden structures with 2 or 3 walls (if they are lucky) that they constructed themselves. The only thing covering them was tarp or maybe a tin sheet. There was no electricity, no floors other than dirt floors, and little to no protection from the wind, heat or extreme rain of Cambodia. These people lived day to day with hopes and prayers that their needs would be met and that something would change. We met a family who stayed up all night in the rainy season to hold a tarp up over their child so they would stay dry, it was heartbreaking.
When we were with Brett from Rock Foundation Cambodia he told us about a man who was near suicidal. In July this man was walking around the camp with a gun in his hand threatening to kill himself as there was no longer any hope. He served in the military, but came home when his family got relocated so that he could care for them. He realized that he couldn’t do anything to help and that there was no longer any hope.
Today, thanks to The Rock Foundation and people like you who donated money he now owns his own land and has hope and reason to look forward to tomorrow. Since that time Rock Foundation Cambodia along with some help from the UN have built over 70 homes in that community and have seen total community transformation, as you can see from the before and after picture. Still, there are many more refugees living in the same conditions as the Borei Keila were this time last year.
As we talk about Refugees and displaced persons today here are a few descriptions and facts:
- A refugee is a person who flees his/her home to escape invasion, oppression or persecution. They genuinely risk serious human rights abuses. A refugee is someone who flees to another country that is not their own.
- There are approximately 10.6 million refugees world wide (someone who has had to cross international borders) and 21 million internationally displaced people worldwide (those who have been displaced from their homes, but still remain in their own country/region).
- Around 75-80% of the worlds refugees are women and children.
What can we do? Well we can pray, we can make awareness, we can give and we can go.
- Pray– Pray that Jesus would continue to use people like Brett with the Rock Foundation and us with Steps of Justice in the lives of refugee communities
- Make Awareness- Tell others about this issue. New land for 30 of these families was just purchased last year, so now they have no fear of being evicted again. Tell people about this community and the Steps of Justice facebook page. We can make huge differences in the lives of a refugee or displaced person.
- Give– If you already like the Steps of Justice page, but want to help out please give directly to Rock Foundation Cambodia. The money you give goes towards a better future for these families.
- Go– This summer we are taking 2 trips to Cambodia to work with the Rock Foundation and other non profits like Daughters of Cambodia, IJM, and AIM. Please email phil@stepsofjustice.org if you would like to join us for one of the trips.
Links to check out. Rock Foundation Rebuild Cambodia
To read the whole story of the Borei Keila community click here.
