In late 2014 CARE Cambodia hosted a delegation of key influencers from the USA and Australia, including three US Congress Representatives and two Australian Members of Parliament. This Learning Tour allowed them to see firsthand the impact of U.S. and Australian investments in improving maternal, newborn and child health. The trip was designed to highlight the successes of healthy mothers, who are empowered with the skills, education and financial literacy to live longer and more productive lives.
Read the full report of the trip >
During the trip, the delegation were able to learn more about the situation in Cambodia and visit a number of projects to meet the women CARE works with.
The delegation visited a garment factory in which CARE works to learn more about the health challenges faced by urban women. Rep. Mike Quigley spoke to Navy, who has a six-year-old daughter, about the impact of health knowledge on her family.
“I think when you visit Cambodia and begin to learn what CARE does, you begin to understand that U.S. foreign assistance is absolutely critical,” Rep. Quigley said.
Watch a short video highlighting Rep. Quigley’s impressions from the trip >
The Learning Tour also travelled to a rural province to see CARE’s Village Savings and Loans Associations in action. Rep. Ander Crenshaw spoke to Phon, a mother with two children, about how she was able to use loans from the group to invest in her small pig farm business and then use her savings from this to pay for the costs of delivering her second child at the hospital.
“Most of the new jobs that are created [in the USA], are created by small businesses. And small businesses start out just like this young woman started out,” Rep. Crenshaw said.
Watch a short video highlighting Rep. Crenshaw’s impressions from the trip >
The Learning Tour was made possible with the financial support of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.