Ponheary Ly Foundation

We work closely with PLF and absolutely love their approach. A fantastic charity doing important work in Cambodia.

I firmly believe in the mission and goals of PonHeary. The work that has and is being done among children and their families is nothing but amazing!! Much of their success as an educational institution is due to the skill set, dedication and self sacrifices of their leadership team, truly a great model for all nonprofits.

We have been supporting the Ponheary Ly Foundation since the beginning, some 15 years ago.
First we have supported the food & wellness program at Kho Ker, we have supported the scholarship program, we supported the construction of a library and now we are in the ‘Life Skills Workshops’.

We visited the foundation several times to see them at work and we know that the Ponheary Ly foundation is open and honest: the budgets and figures are online and Lori, Ponheary and the staff are perfectly honest.

During all this years, we followed their progresses with a deep admiration.
We have witnessed the struggle of the foundation to adapt to the changing surroundings:
They started with meeting the needs of primary school students, food and wellness, libraries, teacher’s education …
As this boys and girls were growing up and had other needs the Ponheary Ly Foundation had to provide also access to secondary schools: bicycles, girls dormitories, enrichment programs (English, computer, sciences programs …)

More and more schools asked for support: the foundation had to hire more staff …

During Covid, they provided on-line courses for the students and supplied food for the parents.

In the recent years, they made secondary school accessible, not only for the best students but for all students (commuting all the students with modified trucks, organising learning centres etc …)

The Ponheary Ly Foundation has now a group of nearly 100 students who have achieved a vocational education or a university degree. This students visit their villages and the mentality of the ‘parents-generation’ towards learning has changed.
This made a revolution in the poor rural Cambodia.
Children learn their parents to read, more villages build their own school, parents encourage their kids to study ..

We support the PLFoundation every year and we are very happy we do: Ponheary and Lori and the whole staff achieved an unthinkable revolution among the poor classes in rural Cambodia.
And we are very proud to be part of it!

PLF is a safe haven for lots of kids in and around Siem Reap. Quality education has a high priority, which is the foundation for a better future for Cambodia.
PLF is open for new ideas and over the years we have often worked together. They love our educational toys and games (made from recycled materials) and we love their dedication in their work. They really make a difference for lots of young people in Cambodia.

I have visited Cambodia twice and volunteered at the Ponheary Ly Foundation schools. So impressed by the love shown to these happy children during their education. What a lovely group of people who are doing such a wonderful job!

I met Ponheary many years ago at a remote temple. She helped interpret for our quide who was a widow with 4 children. We tipped them both and Ponheary immediately gave the money to the other guide. That was the day we learned what an incredibly generous, caring person she is and about the PLF. The work they do is so important for Cambodia and students who may never have had an opportunity for an education. We’ve watched them go from 1st grade to university with the help of the PLF. It’s so gratifying to see the hard work of everyone concerned pay off in such a huge way.

We have supportes The Ponheary Ly Foundation for a few years now and are extremely impressed with their very important work.

Consistently helping thousands of underprivileged children to get an education year after year since 2005 is what is truly amazing about the PLF - that is, helping children individually with what ever they need from food, bicycles to get to school, books and stationary, computers, the list goes on. This is not helicopter help, it’s real, it’s gritty and the results speak for themselves

I am very happy that this NGO have been working to provide educational, schools supplies, food, uniform, English, dormitory, university, as well as lots of programs. Library is one of the top favorite action which has annual events that encourage young generations of Cambodia to make a habit of reading books.
Thanks for providing the most needed to people who need the most. I am looking forward that this organization can stay strong and help entire Cambodian children to reach educational as much as it can.

I Love PLF that have been working to support the students go to school and provide more soft skill like English IT course and workshop also libraries are committed towards their cause and perform their functions to achieve their respective goals . I hope in the future PLF will develop more project to help more communities in Cambodian children .

I have spent a lot of time in Cambodia visiting different NGOs since the 1990s. Ponheary Ly is an outstanding organisation making a huge difference in the lives of children and families in Cambodia. The leadership, staff and visiting volunteers are experienced and offer incredible support and resources. Fundraising initiatives are imaginative, purposeful and well-directed to specific needs. I have watched the organisation grow through friends who work with PLF and I remain in awe of all that they do, with great compassion and dedication to all they serve.

Ponheary, Lori, Graham, and their team do fabulous work creating and ensuring educational opportunities for kids in Siem Reap. Their programs cultivate kids from primary school all the way through college, with a real understanding of the kids and care for their community. This is life changing stuff, for the kids, their families, and ultimately Cambodia.

We have been supporting this charity since we first went to Cambodia and met Pon Heary in 2006. It has been wonderful to see how it has grown supporting just a handful of students to now covering more than 2,000. It is a hands-on grassroot and thrifty operation. As a donor, you can't expect more.

I had the privilege to work with Ponheary 25 years ago, and am always in awe of her integrity and dedication to education in Cambodia. Hers is a truly inspiring story and with Lori's and their team's tireless efforts, countless children have benefited from the foundation. I was lucky to visit again recently and to witness first hand the real difference PLF makes to peoples' lives on the ground. This organisation is a real Cambodian national treasure. I would give them 10 stars!

Our story with PLF is typical of most - found it by happenstance, blown away by what we saw and heard, on board immediately and continuing to be so.

Preparing for a trip to Cambodia, we were referred to the Inn as a good place to stay. It was a great place to stay, but when we saw what was happening with PLF, it became a lifelong highlight. It's a big world with lots of problems, and lots of people trying to help. But of all the places to focus efforts, getting kids to school has to be one of the best. Hard to come up with a better long-term investment in Cambodia and the World, and this group makes a little bit go a long ways.

It's hard to put into succinct words, but while staying there, the spirit of the people of PLF came through in all that we saw, and it was pretty close to impossible to not want to help.

We made a donation when we checked out, and have repeated that each year. I bought all the tshirts in their gift shop, and have ordered more for my friends and family.

I first volunteered for Ponheary Ly Foundation in 2007 and returned as a college intern in 2015. It has been amazing to see founder, Ponheary Ly and Executive Director, Lori Carlson sustainably grow PLF to support 2800 students across two provinces. PLF employs a majority Khmer team with expert local knowledge to carry out education and food & wellness initiatives that have community input and buy-in.

An incredible accomplishment by PLF is their work in Preah Vihear, a province that was occupied by Khmer Rouge guerillas long after Pol Pot's forces surrendered. When PLF first arrived at Koh Ker Primary School, formal education was only offered through the 2nd grade (outside under a tree, see photo).

Today, PLF supports the operations of Koh Ker primary school (grades 1-6) in addition to two other primary schools and a learning center in this province. Learn more about their work in Preah Vihear and in Siem Reap province at theplf.org!

We have been supporting the Ponheary Ly Foundation since we first traveled to Cambodia in 2009 with a return trip in 2012. Ponheary's personal story is incredibly inspiring and we were lucky to have her as our guide for both trips. We were able to spend time with Lori, who is an amazing person as well. We had the opportunity to visit several of the schools and a dormitory supported by the PLF, provided a healthy lunch for the school children in Koh Ker on both trips and learned a lot about the challenges facing the local education system. Because we made two trips to the area, we were able to clearly see the positive impact the organization had made for both the schools and the local communities in just three short years. PLF doesn't just focus on the schools, they also work to improve clean water supply, food resources, transportation and anything else that will make it easier for local families to allow their children to further their formal education in what are often very unsupported, rural areas. I feel very comfortable donating to the PLF as I know our donation will go directly to where it will provide the most benefit. Their social media posts and email newsletter updates are a great glimpse into their local projects but also very thorough and honest. They are open about exactly what donor money is used for, what is working for them, as well as what didn't work and changes they will make going forward to improve. We hope to continue to support them for many years to come!

The thing about the PLF that is stunning is that supporters, volunteers, donors seem to all stick around. Like me. I needed to get away and when I chose Thailand as a destination, my daughter, who had met Ponheary in 2002, suggested we go to Cambodia for a few days, then I could go on to Thailand. I OKd this idea, and have never regretted it. I have been to Cambodia almost every year since with the exception of 2021.
Oh, the changes I have witnessed! Growth beyond expectation; dogged focus on mission, and adaptability under pressure are just a few of the accolades I could give.
As a donor, I know my donations are being used in the way they were intended. As a Board Member, I can testify to the hard work & sacrifice of our staff and the transparency of our endeavors. As a volunteer, well, I cannot even begin to say how rewarding it is.

Our family has been working with Lory, Ponheary and the rest of the team for years. They do incredible work and are very dedicated.
We get regular updates on what they do and how they use the donated money exactly.
We hope they will continue their work for many years to come

Our family has donated to the Ponheary Ly Foundation for at least 14 years now, soon after the foundation was formed. We were fortunate to have come to know Ponheary and her family when we first toured Siem Reap in the mid 2000's. It was then when we learned about her foundation's help to children from the poorest rural areas surrounding Siem Reap have access to public education. Since our first visit, we have returned to see Ponheary and Lori and gone on site visits, and along with one of our daughters, have volunteered at their schools several times now over the course of these years. We get detailed reports and photos from the foundation annually to hear about their progress and their challenges, which we really appreciate. Headed by Ponheary and Lori, their small nonprofit group is fierce and passionately dedicated. They are sincere in their caring and have big hearts. We believe in their mission, and over the years, have witnessed the expansion of their basic mission of Education being the Answer for all Children to their commitment in supporting the whole child in so many other important ways. Furthermore, they work with the children's families and community to build partnership on behalf of their mission. They support the teachers who teach the children. They have followed many, many children who have gone on to secondary school and graduated as well as those young adults who have gone on to college. Each and every graduation and accomplishment done has been met with heartfelt joy and pride as it truly takes a whole village to support a child! When we donors hear this kind of news, we are also equally delighted and proud! When Covid-19 had to shut down the schools recently, the PLF continued to work on behalf of the children and their families by going to them and bringing food and other assistance to help sustain them through such a challenging time. It is incredible how hard the Ponheary Ly Foundation has worked over all these years, continuing to expand and improve on their basic mission, and for all these reasons, they have earned our family's admiration, support, and long-term loyalty.

I visited PLF when I went to Cambodia and was blown away by the efforts they expend to ensure the benefits of education reach as many as possible. This includes locally sourcing materials, keeping funds in the community, helping kids (and their families during the corona lockdown!) get nutritious meals, and outreach to parents so they see the value of having a child stay in school. Everything a nonprofit should be, in my opinion.

Extraordinary on every level. They are methodical in their mission; every dollar is put to good use. With years of experience in the field--and a mostly Cambodian staff, they know their community and how to make the most effective impact. I can't say enough good. Truly. If you are donating anywhere in Cambodia or towards education, choose the PLF.

I have supported PLF for many years , first in regard to the dorms and in more recent years ,scholarships for students attending university.. I have visited Siem Reap on a number of occasions, been to rural schools and witnessed firsthand the valuable work being done.
Ponheary is inspirational and alongside the excellent leadership of Lori and board, the hard work of both staff and students, PLF is making a difference.
PLF is transparent and communication is excellent.
I'm inspired by the young people I have met and am proud to support them in achieving their goals.

I’ve witnessed firsthand the good and life changing work Ponheary Ly is doing in Cambodia. This organization continues to amaze me. They do this work while continuing to keep their overhead costs to a minimum.

My wife and I came across this organization through a travel guide whilst holidaying some years ago in Siem Reap. He introduced us to a dormitory project connected to the foundation which supported girls from rural surroundings gain an education through the Ponheary Ly Foundation. The work in which the foundation involved contributes significantly to the development of the youngsters in the area and is well worth supporting. The activities of this foundation are various and far reaching and are well worth supporting

We sponsor a young medical student at University of Health Science through PLF.

She is now in year 6 and over this period our dealings with PLF have been great. We live in Australia and have had no issues with communication and funds transfer.

Lori and Graham are wonderful people and great to deal with.

Go PLF!

Brendan Kierce

In 2015, I came across an article on the Ponheary Ly Foundation which described how its staff were making a real difference to the lives of Cambodian students. What struck me most about this organization was their commitment to educating students from disadvantaged backgrounds including those from rural areas.

Since that time, I have been a regular supporter and my appreciation and respect for the Ponheary Ly Foundation staff has only grown. They continue to do a fantastic job in providing their students with the education and support necessary to improve their employment prospects which will, in turn, lead to an improvement in the living standards of their families. Please consider supporting the work of the Ponheary Ly Foundation.

In 2014, my wife and I visited our son in Siem Reap and stayed in Ponheary’s guest house where we met Ponheary and learned of her work in education. We volunteered to help prepare and serve lunch at a PLF supported primary school and visited a PLF dorm. We observed the excellent work the Foundation was doing to bolster the education of poor children.

It was clear when we spoke with Lori that the Foundation used its resources wisely, spending very little on administration; nearly all donations were spent on programs that helped the children’s education. . . We were hooked. . . We made a donation then and have donated every year since. Currently we support ten PLF university students. We regularly receive updates on those students’ progress and continue to be inspired by Ponheary and Lori who live by the maxim “education is the answer”.

I intend to follow my father's wishes. I will help and donate here just like my father did. Seeing children has good knowledge and experience. It makes me very impressed. I hope to visit here sometime when I have the opportunity. Thanks for the new pictures and updates regularly.

I have been a long-time donor and volunteer for the Ponheary Ly Foundation. I first encountered the organization in 2007, not long after it was started, when I visited a school that is supported by PLF. Since then, I have returned on three occasions, and have volunteered in several schools, including two of the more rural schools that receive fewer visitors. Over the past 15 years, I have witnessed PLF's growth and deepened connections with schools and the families in communities. PLF is a trusted resource and is often the only non-profit that has a long-term relationship with the schools. Additionally, the organization is careful to vet all volunteers through background checks to protect the safety of the students.

In addition to volunteering for PLF, I am also a long-time donor, with my first donation dating back to 2007. I am confident that every dime I give to PLF is managed in such a way as to ensure the maximum impact for the schools and communities served by PLF. The staff are judicious and thoughtful stewards of donors' contributions, and they provide regular updates about how their programs are performing. They are transparent in their financial management, and love to share stories from the field. Highly recommended both as a donor and a volunteer!

We have been monthly donors to PLF for 10+ years and intend to continue that gift for the rest of our lives. We have visited them and seen first hand the mountains they move to care for the children that they support. No stone is left unturned when a child needs their help.

I first met Ponheary when I stayed at her guest house during a trip to Angkor Wat many years ago. Over dinner one night she told me about her family’s tragic history during the Khmer Rouge and her current work educating rural children in the area. I visited the school she was helping to support and contributed school supplies I had brought along. I was overwhelmed by her devotion to helping these children, who were so eager to learn. Not long after returning home I learned that another American visitor (Lori Carlson)had also been deeply moved by Ponheary and her mission and had created the Ponheary Ly Foundation. The rest is history. I have been a supporter ever since.

I have been a supporter and volunteer with the PLF for over a decade and highly recommend it as an outstanding NGO. I have first hand experience of their amazing work and the difference they have made in the lives of the children they support..

My first trip to Cambodia was in July/August of 2004. It started out as a trip to visit Angkor Wat with a friend. In wandering around Siem Reap we stumbled upon a home that Ponheary Ly had set up for some young people. This led us to the orphanage that she supports just outside town. During this trip I learned how the Ponheary was helping to get fundamental supplies to children in order that they might get a decent education. My heart was so moved when I heard Ponheary's own story of loss and saw what she was doing to help make the lives of these beautiful children a bit less painful. The clothing, food, bicycles, and educational tools she raises funds for are reflective of the huge heart and soul she possesses.
I came back to Siem Reap again in 2008 with another friend. This time we stayed at Ponheary's inn. Also, Lori Carlson was now helping set up the foundation. Watching how everyone that came through her doors was enthused to lend a hand only made me further understand the powerful gifts she was bestowing on her community. The education of young Cambodian children will hopefully lead to a better life for them and their families. I applaud this undertaking and will continue to contribute whenever I am able!

This organization has changed so many lives of the students and their families over the course of what...? About 14 or 15 years now? It revolutionized the "Volun-tourism" Industry and provided so many with meaningful opportunities to get directly involved. Ponheary and Lori have devoted their lives to the health, wellbeing and education of their students. No doubt the beautiful Cambodia will also reap the benefits of so many educated young people coming through the doors of this organization.

Have been following the PLF's work for several years. I am impressed with their ability to make even the smallest donation go so very far with meaningful and lasting impact in the daily lives of Cambodian families, who would otherwise be outside the mainstream educational & health services. They identify and target the root issues that keep kids and families from from reaching their full human potential, while maintaining respect for the Cambodian culture.

My family had the opportunity to volunteer with the Ponheary Ly Foundation when we were living in Singapore back in 2013. The impression that stayed with us all these years is the genuine care for the students under their care. It is one of the few organizations that is actually teaching students their own history, and supporting higher education. We are proud to financially support their incredible work, especially now with the current pandemic.

I volunteered with PLF in 2016 and was changed by the experience. The foundation offered a variety of donation and volunteer opportunities so I was able to find one that worked for me. My mother was a teacher, so I know how powerful education is in transforming children's lives. That focus on education is what led me to PLF. I spent a day on a field trip with 20 children who attended one of the PLF sponsored schools. We had the chance to visit a silk manufacturing facility, eat lunch in Siem Reap and then take a pottery class. I witnessed firsthand the great work that PLF is doing to further education for the rural Cambodian community. Keep up the great work!

A non-profit that is truly non-profit with the less amount of administration costs of any organization I have known. They are so clever how they use their money to provide maximum service to the schools, children, and community. It is a model for other organizations.
I have seen how proud the children are to be in a PLF school. But getting the bicycle may be the proudest moment. These children are the next generation of Cambodia.
I am so happy I met Lori on Fodors travel talk many years ago and then went to see PLF in Cambodia. And since then my children and grandchildren have gone as well.

I’ve been a long time supporter of this amazing organization! My first trip to Cambodia, I was lucky enough to experience hands on group tour with the children. It was magical! And also was able to see exactly where and how our donations are being used. They are so transparent! I have recommended to everyone I know. They have helped so many children become active, participating adults in their community. Children who would otherwise not have the opportunity to find a different path…

The Ponheary Ly Foundation is utterly remarkable and unique. I had the honour to volunteer here with my (then) 15 yr old daughter. We spent two weeks living and working with amazing teachers and support staff.

We were looked after as part of the family, who all ensured we were supported, watered, fed and given plenty of down time.

What Ponheary Ly, Lori and everyone at the PLF does is truly remarkable. 10 years on, my daughter Alex is hoping to return. I wish I could too. Perhaps when my younger daughter is older.

The thousands of children whose lives have been turned around by this small, dynamic not for profit could put many of the larger NGOs to shame.

School is the answer. The PLF proves this day in day out.

I salute you.

Sue and Alex Broome (UK)

I became aware of this organization through a Siem Reap Nia dance event raising funds to provide meals and resources for students. When the Covid Pandemic hit, shutting schools, students would have lost access to those resources were it not for the Ponheary Ly Foundation who created food packages and learning resources to keep their community safe and learning. I may live on the other side of the world but I am proud to be a donor for this organization and love to be kept up to date with what goes on via their newsletters.

I have had the pleasure to support the PLF for a number of years now and am delighted to continue to support their excellent work. They are a well organised, efficient, caring and very effective charity.

We went to Cambodia in 2011 and visited one of the schools Ponheary Ly supports, and were very impressed with what they do. We have followed their progress since then via their informative newsletters, and pleased to see how much they have grown and progressed. We try and donate to them every year, and hope to visit again at some point.

Amazing organization that provides education to Khmer students as well as the minor health care it takes to keep the kids in school, meals, nuitritional supplements, shoes, clean water, and whatever other projects donors and volunteers are willing to participate in to create a postiive structure and environment that is assistive in sustaining an educational environment for Cambodian kids. The organization itself is so sustainable because it is not bloated with management costs or salaries. The organization is run by Ponheary Ly and her immediate family including sister Lori. A very transparent organization doing amazing work!

In 2007 my family and I visited Siem Reap with Ponheary Ly as our guide. Before arriving, I learned about her non-profit and spoke with the president Lori Carlson. By spreading the word to friends and family, we collected over $1500 which we personally donated. As a "reward" we had the opportunity to be the first group to sponsor a field-trip for 4th and 5th grade students to the temples at Angkor Wat. By hiring a Khmer speaking guide the kids were able to learn about their history - a topic not covered in school. While eating lunch at a nearby restaurant, another first for the children, an Australian approached us and asked what we were doing. After explaining that the Ponheary Ly Foundation enables poor children in rural areas to go to public school and that we were taking them on a history lesson, he immediately offered to help. He bought every chid a special treat: a canned fruit drink. Several hours later, our heads swirling with gods and goddesses, battles and legends, I noticed one girls still clutching her unopened drink. Ponheary I asked, "why isn't she drinking it?" Ponheary replied, "she will take it home and share it with her mother and father, sister and brothers."

Excellent Charity and cause. Members do not collect salary so all proceeds go directly to helping the children.