Mission

To give children and youth in rural Cambodia the chance to build a future through education, one child at a time, one step at a time.

About Ponheary Ly

“WE WILL EDUCATE OUR CHILDREN. WE WILL DO IT ONE BY ONE… STEP BY STEP.”

Ponheary Ly survived the killing fields of the Khmer Rouge and the long years of hardship that followed. Instead of turning away from that pain, she turned toward the children left most vulnerable by decades of conflict, genocide and poverty. Now, her life’s work has been to find those forgotten children in the remote villages of Cambodia and to open the door to learning, dignity and possibility.

The Ponheary Ly Foundation Canada exists to support Ponheary’s vision and to amplify her quiet, stubborn insistence that education changes lives. We partner with communities on the ground so that children and youth who would otherwise be left behind can go to school, learn, and imagine a different future.

What we do

We back hands-on, community-rooted education, supporting access to schools, basic learning materials, community teachers and programs that help children and youth stay in school and thrive. We follow Ponheary’s rhythm: steady, patient, and focused on real outcomes for children and youth.

Why it matters

Education breaks the cycle of poverty. For a child or youth in a rural Cambodian village, a schoolbook and a teacher are necessities, as they’re a doorway to lasting change. Our work honors Ponheary’s belief that every child is worth the effort.

Support us

In helping more disenfranchised children and youth take that first step. Your donation enables them to not only imagine a different future but realize it!