Children enjoying the New York Red Bulls Soccer Balls
Our pump project was a natural progression of our initial efforts to assist the Cambodian birth family of Rudi (Chak Puth) Shirk, a remarkable little boy who has brought joy to all who know him. Rudi, born in Phum Thom, Cambodia is the adoptive son of the founding member of Brooklyn Bridge to Cambodia (BB2C), a U.S. 501 (3)(c) non-profit formed to provide the Cambodian birth family cornerstones of aid upon which they could build to rise out of desperate poverty. The goals were to secure the health of the family, educate the birth siblings and provide a means of sustainable micro enterprise. To that end, the family was moved from its disease-ridden hut that flooded during the rainy season, into an apartment. The organization pays for tuition for Rudi’s three birth siblings.
BB2C contributed micro enterprise tools by providing seed capital for the parents to fund a market stall to sell vegetables and fish, the purchase of a cow (which has since calved twice) and finally a sugar cane machine and scooter to transport fish and vegetables to their market stall. Ysa Benjamin, Director of Community Connection Cambodia (CCC) was instrumental in implementing all these initiatives, all with culturally sensitive direction.
We also helped the family purchase land, but because of an illegal land grab in June 2008, the family was forced to abandon it. Despite this setback, the family has experienced positive and sustainable change.
At the time of the land grab, when the family and other villagers were driven from their property, BB2C was the only organization able to get emergency supplies through to them. Click here to read more.
We also organized a drive of used soccer uniforms to send to the siblings’ school as well as other institutions helping orphans and street children. The New York Red Bulls generously added 100 soccer balls to the shipment. Click here to read more.
We like this cow. A cow that looks you right in the eye. A cow you can trust.
BB2C bought this Italian cow to help sustain Rudi’s birth family in Cambodia. The Italian cow—that’s her breed, not her nationality—is named Sylvia Poggioli, for National Public Radio’s Rome correspondent. Sylvia (the cow, not the correspondent) gave birth to a male calf, which in turn was named— because of its future as a stud—Fabio, after the Italian model.