Emergency Medical Care for 3 Cambodian Teachers

Dear Friends,

Our Kampot Traditional Music School for Orphaned and Disabled Children (KCDI), was built in Kampot 1994 during the Cambodian Civil War to help care for the most vulnerable of Children, whilst preserving Traditional Cambodian Culture for future generations. Especially important after the Khmer Rouge genocide killed one third of the population and 90% of Cambodian Artists.

Today I make an appeal for three of our wonderful Teachers, who survived the Khmer Rouge genocide and have been working with me for nearly 30 years.

Loak Kru Bem and Loak Kru Samouen have had to go for emergency medical treatment and operations in neighboring Vietnam, because the quality of medical care in Cambodia is still poor. Loak Kru Samouen nearly had his leg amputated, after sepsis from a metal implant in his leg, whilst Loak Kru Bem had to remove cysts from his liver. Loak Kru Sothy, our director has complications in his left eye and must go to the capital Phnom Penh 137 km away, each month for

injections.

Because of prior pathologies, none of my senior staff are eligible for insurance. Our School covers the cost of all our Orphaned and Blind Children in Residence and basic medical care for all our Staff. However, operations and long-term medical procedures are beyond our modest capacity.

Loak Kru Samouen survived being shackled in a Khmer Rouge prison and miraculously was not executed. Our other Teachers also endured starvation, disease and forced labour during the genocide. With courage and dignity, each Teacher did their very best to re-build Traditional Cambodian Music and Performing Arts and Education after the fall of the Khmer Rouge. We are indebted to them and for their love and kindness to our Children throughout three decades.

Our School is a Cambodian registered NGO and does not have any expatriate overheads or administrative costs, so that all help goes directly to our School programs and our Children (www.kcdi-cambodia.org).

With Heartfelt Thanks for your help and support.

Catherine Louise Geach (founder)