10 Years of Journeys Within

To celebrate 10 years of Journeys Within Tour Company, Andrea Ross talks about an incredible journey. A journey that not only changed her life but has changed the lives of thousands of members of our community.  

The truth is that our 10 year anniversary was last year…but we were busy and I just couldn’t quite get around to celebrating it, I think it was because deep down I wanted to wait and really complete 10 years! It wasn’t okay to say we’d gotten to the 10th year, in typical Journeys Within fashion we had to go above and beyond and excel in that 10th year too!! To highlight just that, in the last week I’ve received emails from guests describing their recent trips as “epic”, “once-in-a-lifetime” and “life-changing”. Our tenth year was truly the icing on our anniversary cake!

When Brandon and I started Journeys Within Tour Company 10/11 years ago in Cambodia neither of us realized where it would go and the lives it would change. When I talk about exceptional experiences I’m not just talking about our guests…I’m talking about the Journeys Within team as well. I feel so lucky to have a team that truly loves what they do and I think we are able to really appreciate how exceptional Southeast Asia is. Because we truly value it we’re able to create these experiences for guests that just go above the norm and create unforgettable trips. On a personal level, the last 10 years has been an exceptional experience for me!

When I realized that I shouldn’t just let our anniversary fade into the Angkor Wat sunset I looked online to see what people did for their 10-year-anniversary. Turns out, people have parties…they throw big events and they have a very good time. I thought about doing this, as I do like a good party, but my team is spread across 6 countries and getting them all together seemed unlikely. I will be taking the kids to Southeast Asia in February and in each country I’ll celebrate with my Journeys Within Family, but I needed something bigger, something that defined Journeys Within. I didn’t have to look far.

Shortly after founding Journeys Within Tour Company we founded Journeys Within Our Community (JWOC), a non-profit that has a mission of empowering local communities through health and education and inspiring change. When we founded JWOC we again had no idea of the impact it would have. Today JWOC has given access to clean water to thousands of villagers, we’ve provided education for hundreds of students at our school in Siem Reap, we’ve given out microloans to those living below the poverty line and we’ve sent over 200 students to university. And when I say JWOC has done this, I mean WE have done this — it turns out that the most exceptional experiences are not necessarily helicopter rides and private pampering (though those are great too!), but actually the experiences you take home with you are the ones where you make a difference in someone else’s life. When our guests saw the needs in the countries they were visiting they wanted to make a difference and they have! Our donors are the travelers — people that not only want to see and understand these countries, but also make a positive impact on the people living here. The idea of Active Philanthropy through travel has made measurable impacts in the communities that we work in. Our teams both at Journeys Within Tour Company and at JWOC have made these contributions count, every penny of them! In return our guests have not only seen the highlights of Southeast Asia, but they’ve made a difference in the lives of the local people that inspire us to travel. The experience has gone beyond Angkor Wat and Wat Phou and the Grand Palace, and into the villages and communities.

This to me is what the last 10 years has been about. Making travel bigger than just going somewhere new. So to celebrate 10 years of exceptional experiences Journeys Within is donating $10,000 dollars to JWOC. This donation will go towards the projects we founded and believe in and will help JWOC continue to change lives. This donation adds onto the thousands of dollars given throughout the course of the year by our guests who visit our schools and see our projects, as well as the donations that come in from our amazing travelers after they come home and want to continue making a difference!

I am so proud that what we founded 10 years ago has become something so powerful. I am so thankful to have a team that strives to give our guests the best experience possible every single day and I’m so excited to see what will happen in the next 10 years. On the phone today, I was speaking with a guest about his trip and he couldn’t say enough nice things, finally he said, “for a small company with so much heart, you really have the service to back it up.” And that, well that was all I needed.

My time at JWOC

My name is Voleak Phan and I am 15 years old. I’m a sophomore at an international school calls Jay Pritzker Academy (JPA). I decided to volunteer at JWOC during the winter break because I felt as though I wanted to do something for my community and to get some work experience as well so that I’m more prepared for my future. Also, at first I thought that it would be a boring break to just stay at home, so why not do something useful?

Therefore, I met with my friends and we organized a team to work at JWOC, which was recommended to me by my Psychology teacher Ms. Chantal Debreu. We have had such a good time at JWOC. I went to classes in the afternoon from Monday to Friday to assist the teacher as well as preparing fun activities so the kids can play during studying periods. In addition, on Saturday and Sunday I helped the art class to make crafts for the kids as well as teaching them to make the crafts. I can say that I feel an overwhelming pleasure because I’m a part of it. I love spending my time with those bright children, who are eager to learn and friendly. Additionally, the other staffs are very nice and helpful to me, which made me feel so warm. In addition, I also learn how to teach children, preparing lesson plans, get comfortable with students and talking to them, and some craft-making skills that I had never know how to do before.

I feel good about my decision because for once, I actually did something for my beloved country; I learned things that can be applied in real life. Even though it wasn’t much, I know that this is just the start. There are going to be many more things that I will do to help my country.

Last of all with gratitude, I would like to say thank you to the founders of JWOC and the donators as well as helpers, who without their presence, underprivileged Cambodian children won’t get the precious opportunity to see the world at a different angle. Thank you so much.

A year in Pictures

It has been such an incredible year at Journeys Within Our Community (JWOC) and we would like to share some of our most beautiful photographs with you. So much happens at JWOC in one year and we have done our best to capture the smiles and hard work that happens in the community.

Happy Holidays from everyone here at JWOC

Why I'm Racing 4 Change

Chhorvy is the inspiration behind the JWOC bike ride, she is a Communications student at JWOC and is working hard planning and organizing the bike ride for the scholarship students. She is also the student who put forward the idea for scholarship students to enter Race4Change to raise funds and awareness for JWOC.


Hi, My name is Chhorvy Seng, I am a 4th year scholarship student volunteering in Communications at Journeys Within Our Community, studying Accounting in my final year at Build Bright University. I come from Svay Prei village in Siem Reap and I just started a new job working for Malaysia Airlines. I love volunteering with JWOC , I have made so many great friends and I love having the opportunity to be able to help my country. I have learned and grown so much during my time at JWOC


 

Why did you want to take part in this bike ride?

It is good exercise!!! but also it is an opportunity for me to represent JWOC and help them to tell people about all the good things we do. JWOC has given me so much help and support over the past 4 years, I wanted to do something to say thank you for this. Riding with the other scholarship students and staff for JWOC will be such a fun opportunity, I hope by doing Race4Change, friends of JWOC around the world will want to support and help us. If I can't donate to JWOC myself, I want to try and inspire others to donate themselves.

Have you ever cycled 30km before, do you think you can do it?

I have never! but I will try my best, it will be such a wonderful experience and it is around the Angkor temples which makes it more special. I am so excited to be part of this.

How will Race4Change help JWOC?

Each of our 4 programs are trying to raise money for parts of their project which are really important. We are trying to raise money for 140 water filters, to continue our art and science classes for one year, fund 15 microloans and provide one whole village with 60 Home gardens. It is a dream of ours to be able to achieve this but if we did, my community would be proud of my hard work.

 

If you would like to support Chhorvy and her fellow scholarship students please donate here.

Vantha welcomes the new Scholarship students

50 year ago Cambodia had a really good education system. Many people have been educated well because there were many schools and universities which produced many positive resources for the society and the country. This bright time in Cambodia’s history wasn’t to last, soon the darkness came and Pol Pot’s regime eradicated education from Cambodian society.

We know education can be the catalyst for change; with education people can develop from having nothing to being creative, knowledgeable and understanding the world around them.

Our new intake of Scholarship students for 2014

That is why our current young generation are trying hard to educate themselves so they can achieve their future goals and help their communities. Unfortunately, it is not a level playing field and some students have more than others when it comes to opportunities and chances to learn.

If there is one common goal among our young generation it is to try their best to educate themselves fully and that means going to university, they need this to survive in the world and achieve their goals.

With the help of our generous donors, this year JWOC has been able to help 22 students have a chance to change their life. Not just giving them a scholarship to go to university but teaching them how to prosper within their community, including study skills, work skills and developing their personal goals.

This years scholarship process - Tom and Vantha interviewing candidates

Vantha checking with references from the students applications

Home visits, the last stage of the scholarship process before students are granted a JWOC scholarship

I am extremely  excited to be part of the scholarship program.  I can see how much the program can change the students’ lives to be better and better compared to their current situations, especially when they are getting to the age where they have to deal with many problems around them that come with growing up.

 As you can see on their family members’ faces, they are so happy to see their children receiving support so they can continue moving forward and grow with the help of education. I believe that these children can become future leaders. Here at JWOC we are building a strong generation for the future of our communities and society.

 Konthea, a new scholarship student with her family

Sokhea, a new scholarship student with his family