Mr. Ross Story

Abandoned at birth

He was raised by a kind woman who found him where he was dumped among banana leaves, very sick and full of insect bites.

His life after that was never easy as the woman was herself very poor and had 4 other children to raise.  There was not enough money for him to go to school.

Poverty and Hard Work from the Early Years

From the early days of his schooling, he had to stop as they could not afford to pay his tuition.  The school master took pity on him as he was a smart and hardworking boy and offered to help with his tuition and uniform.  In exchange, Mr. Ross had to look after his vegetable farm.

This arrangement continued for several years until the school master had to sell his farm.  Mr. Ross, determined to finish his schooling, needed to find another way to support his education.  At the age of 9, he drifted from one menial job to another, earning only half what a regular worker would earn, because of his young age.  He would collect construction materials, sold sugar and palm wine, and collect and sold firewood with the bicycle he bought from his income. He would then go to school in the morning and work until evening.

Inspiring other poor kids to work and study

But even at this tender age, he had already become a source of inspiration to others.  He came in contact with 4 other children his age who also didn’t have any family and were living with the monks.  They couldn’t go to school due to lack of funds and were living in worse conditions than he was.  He took pity on them and thought they could go to school if they would follow his example – work hard to support themselves.

He and his friends worked hard day and night and lived in a small hut.  One day, he met a kind soldier who was impressed with the young Mr. Ross who was so hardworking and independent.  Upon learning of their plight, the soldier offered to let them stay in his house as he was often away on mission.

Learning new languages to change lives

His life changed even more when he met an old man from Thailand who could speak a little Khmer.  The old man began to teach him Thai which he learned quickly in just 9 months.  He started offering private lessons for people who wanted to learn Thai, too.  Very soon, even his former teachers from elementary school were learning Thai from him.

He then met a Thai who speaks English and was willing to teach him English, too. He also learned English fast and was soon good enough to offer English classes.  He was only 16 years old but he began earning enough from teaching languages.  He had finished secondary school but could not go to university as it was in Phnom Penh.

Devoting his Life to Teaching Children

His life, however, had become much easier and he vowed to help other people who were living in poverty.  First he helped with their daily sustenance and then with their education.

Over time, he was able to establish 4 government-approved schools teaching English, Khmer, and Thai and providing bicycles and uniforms to hundreds of children.  He helped families become self-sufficient and find better jobs.  Mr. Ross was also able to develop an eco-tourism homestay program for travelers to get to know the local community.  All of the income from this program goes to the villagers.

Mr. Ross gives his own money, money from donors, as well as income from tours he organizes, to sustain all these activities.  He is deeply committed to helping change the lives of poor families in Cambodia, especially the young children who deserves a brighter future.