In 1970 Cambodia fell to the dictator Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge. In what is now recognized as one of the most devastating relocation programs in history, millions were forced from their urban homes and sent as slave labor into the fields and rice paddies of rural Cambodia. Over the next several years close to two million Cambodians died from hunger, thirst and genocide.

In 1999, the first full year of peace in thirty years, the Cambodian people began the slow and difficult process of rebuilding their war-torn nation.

Often known as the “fourth world”, Cambodia suffers from some of the most extreme poverty on the planet. One in six children die before the age of six, and a huge portion of the population – 40 percent – is under the age of 15. Only 9% of rural Cambodians have electricity and the average annual income was just $1,500 in 2006. In this emerging landscape your modest donation can change a family’s future. Please consider making a contribution today.

The village pig is a low-end economic development program based in Olympia, Washington. We don’t hand out money and walk away. Rather, we develop a source of sustainable revenues one family at a time. Our Cambodian staff identifies families for the program, helps build the pen, delivers the piglet, provides food for the pigs every month, and ongoing support for families in the program.