On Wednesday of last week, Little Hearts welcomed East Micro, a new member of our extended family of donors, sponsors and well-wishers. East Micro is a newly formed microfinance institution whose aim is to improve financial inclusion and thus lift the standard of living of many Cambodians who otherwise lack access to business and personal loans.
In the course of a search for sustainable social and environmental enterprises to include in the company’s corporate social responsibility programme, East Micro’s Head of Operations, Mr. Hak Sophal, came across Little Hearts’ profile. Intrigued by our track record of successfully providing for and educating Cambodian children, Mr. Hak promptly contacted Mr. Llew – General Manager and scheduled a visit to our facility, announcing that he and his staff would bring along a substantial donation of school materials.
Little did we know, however, that he would do something much more entertaining and original than that. He showed up on our doorstep with several of his colleagues ready to cook a sumptuous meal for all the children! He and his fellow executives were thoroughly prepared, having brought all the necessary ingredients and even their own pots, pans and utensils, which they donated to Little Hearts. Furthermore, they donated money specifically to buy school stationery for the children.
Our cook, Makhun, was over the moon. For once, she was able to sit back and relax and let someone else worry about feeding all those hungry kids! She was pleased because all the East Micro staff were extremely polite and industrious; and they already knew how to handle themselves in the kitchen, so she didn’t need to teach them anything! They prepared Khmer noodles with a chicken curry sauce as the main course, followed by a delicious dessert made of mixed fruits and coconut milk.
We’d like to thank Mr. Hak for this wonderful initiative, as well as East Micro’s CEO, Mr Soung Sophalrithy, and the Head of Finance, Mrs. Buon Chansophea. And we hope that this is the beginning of a long and mutually beneficial relationship with East Micro and other firms in its group of companies.
