The community of Chhuk, Cambodia graduated in 2007. Today it stands not only as a self-sustainable community, but a flourishing one.
At the beginning of our 10 year partnership, there was only one small church. Today, there are 40. The churches are operating a school with 900 students (including some orphans) and two dormitories. They are starting a Bible College, have begun a savings group, a cow bank, a pig bank, and the former Model Farmers are still teaching what they learned from FH Canada's agricultural program to their neighbours and to the farmers in surrounding villages. They are spreading the same message and training through which they transformed their own community -- a beautiful illustration of the ripple effect.
The churches have also started their own child sponsorship program, where they help orphans and very poor families care for their children. All of this is happening without any outside funding.
The leaders are very happy with what FH invested in them over the years, and they now want to show that the seeds that were planted are bearing fruit. FH met with a former staff person who is also very involved in what is going on with the 40 churches. They are intentional in reaching out to the disadvantaged in the area. They have an ambitious vision to keep multiplying churches and the work being done by these churches. Some of the formerly sponsored children are now teachers, pastors, and leaders in their communities. The church is an extremely relevant influence in this community.