Let Us Create—From Art to Education

Story by Gareth Kelly
Photos courtesy of Dustin Tardiff

Sihanoukville is a small Oceanside village in the country of Cambodia. Although an increasingly popular destination for tourists, many Cambodians live in abject poverty. Lack of clean water or basic sanitation is a daily problem. Food is scarce and what is available is often lacking in any meaningful nutrition.
During a visit to Cambodia, world-renowned artist Felix Brooks-Church saw firsthand the terrible poverty and lack of education for Cambodian children. In an effort to help change those conditions, he started a project where children could use art as a way to earn money and receive an education.
Today, Let Us Create helps educate more than 200 children, seven days a week and provides over 57,000 hot meals per year. After hearing about the program from friends, San Luis Obispo residents Dustin Tardiff and Tarrah Leigh decided they wanted to help.
“Some friends of ours had been travelling in Cambodia when they came across the project and shared their experience with us,” said Leigh. “We knew we wanted to help. The next thing we knew we were helping Let Us Create get their 501c3 non- profit status to operate in the United States and we were organizing fundraisers.”
On August 27 at the Avila Bay Club in Avila Beach there will be a fundraiser featuring a live auction of artwork produced by children involved in the Let Us Create project. There will be approximately 20 to 25 pieces of art as well as a screening of a short documentary about the Let Us Create foundation as well as local wines. The event runs from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. with the auction starting at 7.30 p.m.
“Were really exited to be able to have this fundraiser locally,” Leigh said. “The program’s director Leah Brooks–Church will be in attendance as will the in-country director Sopheap Kong for whom this will be her first ever trip outside of Cambodia. Dustin is going to be the auctioneer, and we really hope many people will come and support this great cause.”
In an email, Leah Brooks–Church said the program is expanding to meet the needs of more children.
“Our education programs have provided over 1,000 books to students in need for study, and we have increased overall attendance by 10 percent,” she said. “We’ve reached new heights in 2015. Quality staff is the backbone of every organization, and we have strengthened our team and program content with a focus on staff development. We have been partnering with Streets UK (non-profit) to deliver a higher standard of training for staff, and the results have had a great impact on improved learning.”
Let Us Create recently finished building a brand new center using sustainable materials, which is estimated to save them more than $15,000 a year in operating costs. All funds raised during the local event will go directly to the center. Let Us Create hopes to expand its programs to help more children get an education, have some art therapy and eat some good food.
“The kitchen has produced over 25,000 healthy fruit shakes to build immune systems,” said Kong. “It has also delivered 45,000 nutritious meals. The health and hygiene program has provided over 250 toothbrushes and 400 tubes of toothpaste. During 2014, we made 46 Saturday field trips and one major high school trip to Siem Reap. The daily nutrition program has increased the vegetables in our fruit shakes to improve iron levels; and now, we have brown rice. Our aim is to offer only brown rice by the end of 2015, impacting fiber levels, antioxidants and a general reduction in illness. This is a major change to the diet of children and families as Cambodians traditionally eat only white rice.”
For more information visit www.letuscreatecambodia.org or get yourself down to the event on August 27.