In 2007, Venerable Hour Sokrath was invited from Phnom Penh by local people to teach Buddhist monks the Pali language. This was in Chom Bok Bith Meas Pagoda, Putsor Commune, Bati District, Takeo Province. He found a community in desperate need. The young children, teenagers and adults were all struggling with day to day living. There was little opportunity to leave poverty behind. Many were uneducated, had no vocational skills to gain worthwhile employment, didn’t own their own land and could see no hope for the future. Venerable Hour Sokrath decided to start his compassion work in the community. He began by opening a Khmer and English class for 50 children and young adults. Classes took place 5 days a week from 5.30 to 6.30am and from 4.30 to 6.30pm. They were held in school buildings in the temple grounds. Sokrath also established a small library in Chom Bok Pagoda for the children and the community.
In 2009, Venerable Hour Sokrath saw a need to extend his commitment to helping more children and young adults. He decided to ask Venerable Thon Vandong, who is the executive director and founder of Buddhism for Social Development Action (BSDA) Organization, based in Kampong Cham province, for technical support and to establish a branch of BSDA in Takeo province. On 21 July 2009, BSDA Takeo received an official letter (No 076 ស.ជ.ណ.) from the Takeo Province Governor’s office allowing us to organize a BSDA branch in Takeo Province.
At the same time, with support from Irene Rommen, her friends and later the families of United World College of SouthEast Asia East (UWCSEA), led by Margot Marks, we were encouraged to extend our activities and develop our projects. We started with two projects. English Language & Computer School Project and Scholarship provision project.
In August 2012, in a meeting of all staff from BSDA-Takeo, the idea was raised of forming a new organization that would better reflect our community, projects and goals. Green Umbrella was born! On 20 December 2012, Green Umbrella received the official letter from the Interior Ministry of Cambodia (No 1796 ស.ជ.ណ.)registering Green Umbrella as a NGO and allowing them to operate projects and activities in Cambodia.
In 2009, Venerable Hour Sokrath saw a need to extend his commitment to helping more children and young adults. He decided to ask Venerable Thon Vandong, who is the executive director and founder of Buddhism for Social Development Action (BSDA) Organization, based in Kampong Cham province, for technical support and to establish a branch of BSDA in Takeo province. On 21 July 2009, BSDA Takeo received an official letter (No 076 ស.ជ.ណ.) from the Takeo Province Governor’s office allowing us to organize a BSDA branch in Takeo Province.
At the same time, with support from Irene Rommen, her friends and later the families of United World College of SouthEast Asia East (UWCSEA), led by Margot Marks, we were encouraged to extend our activities and develop our projects. We started with two projects. English Language & Computer School Project and Scholarship provision project.
In August 2012, in a meeting of all staff from BSDA-Takeo, the idea was raised of forming a new organization that would better reflect our community, projects and goals. Green Umbrella was born! On 20 December 2012, Green Umbrella received the official letter from the Interior Ministry of Cambodia (No 1796 ស.ជ.ណ.)registering Green Umbrella as a NGO and allowing them to operate projects and activities in Cambodia.
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