We wanted to help out where Elephant Branded was born. Without Cambodia, Elephant Branded wouldn’t exist and so we want to do our bit by giving back to the communities that have helped us provide you with some amazing, ethically sourced products. To do this, we wanted to work with an incredible organisation that we trusted. We wanted to work with people that shared our values and wanted to help the children that are destined to become the next generation of leaders in Cambodia. Luckily for us, we found CCF, a charity lead by an inspirational man who is ensuring that thousands of children get the chance that they deserve.

Here is their story:

Founded in 2004, Cambodian Children’s Fund provides life-changing education, nourishment and healing to vulnerable children from some of Cambodia’s most destitute communities. In the beginning, their world revolved around the health and well-being of 87 youngsters. Today they care for more than 2,000 children and extend their services to provide for their families and communities in crisis.

CCF was founded by former film executive Scott Neeson, who traveled to Cambodia on holiday in early 2003 and found his life changed by the desperate circumstances and unlikely courage of Phnom Penh’s most impoverished children. Today, he serves as CCF’s Executive Director, performing daily fieldwork and overseeing the operations of CCF’s various facilities.

Accepting responsibility for a child’s comprehensive care might appear to be a single mission, but it isn’t. They offer education, health care, nutrition and safe shelter. These elements stand as four interdependent walls, joined together with dedication and compassion to provide a full house.

In order to develop and heal, the connection with family and community is essential. Allowing the parents the opportunity to lift themselves from poverty — while ensuring that the child’s siblings have access to education and helping rebuild a sense of community — not only provides for the greater good but also alleviates the adult-like burdens of the child. The majority of children in our care were former garbage pickers and primary caretakers of their siblings, living and working on Phnom Penh’s former municipal garbage dump.

In addition to the top-quality programs that form the backbone of CCF’s education centers, they run a broad spectrum of fully integrated community services that collectively offer the strongest possible safety net for families in crisis. Every outreach project we develop flows from the realization and acceptance that CCF’s children have links and roots that need nurturing if they themselves are to fully prosper and grow.

CCF is dedicated to giving its students the chance to discover their individual voices. They are proud to see their students demonstrate intolerance for injustice, a strong sense of self-worth and a deep sense of compassion and respect for their communities and country — ultimately honing their potential to emerge as leaders and progressive spokespeople enacting positive social change.

As you can see, CCF does some incredible work and we are now helping them; it is something that we are very proud of. This September, the first shipment of 500 bags are arriving with CCF. Each bag has been handmade by our friends in Cambodia out of the same strong materials that makes the Elephant Branded products we sell to people like you. This means that the maximum benefits remain in Cambodia. Through working with CCF, we are ensuring that the children they support have some of the school equipment that they need to make sure they make the most of their time at school. We are also creating more business for our friends in Cambodia which means their communities can prosper in a sustainable and robust way. Without your help, none of this would happen so thank you!

Visit their website if you want to find out more.

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