Colorado man starts eco based charity in Cambodia

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Shared By: PlanetBiodiesel on 3/15/08

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Acts of Kindness

Sihanoukville, Cambodia March 15, 2008 

Tim Waterfield first visited Cambodia in 2002 as part of a 6 month bicycle tour around Southeast Asia. He was struck by the friendliness and hospitality of the Khmer people in the face of extreme poverty.

After returning to the United States, he started Planet Biodiesel.  This company specialized in environmentally friendly fuel production.   Realizing this was a technology that could be put to use in the developing world, Mr. Waterfield made plans to start a charity based on biodiesel fuel.

Selling his house and most of his possessions, he returned to Cambodia in July 2006.  The first six months were spent studying the language and analyzing the needs of the culture.  The most shocking discovery was the condition of the educational system.

Public school teachers in Cambodia are not paid a livable wage.    Oftentimes they resort to collecting "tuition" money directly from students.  Children that can not afford to pay are not allowed in the classroom.   With 70% of the population subsistence farming and a median age of 21.3 years, this is a country full of undereducated children. 

Planet Biodiesel Outreach Cambodia was founded to address this problem.  The first order of business was to design an energy system for the school that was sustainable, environmentally friendly and available locally.  A biodiesel production system was designed and built.  It uses waste cooking oil, recovers excess alcohol, and treats the waste water.   Biodiesel now fuels their school bus and a diesel generator produces electricity.    

PBOC School presently has 160 students learning a variety of subjects.  Five full time teachers are on staff to oversee classes.    They provide education, food, clothing, school supplies and transportation free to all students.   

Tim Waterfield tells us "now that we have the school up and running, our next goal is to reach financial sustainability.  We have started a tour company here in Cambodia that is powered by waste vegetable oil and is nearly non-polluting.  This gives people the opportunity to come to a beautiful place, help the children and protect the planet at the same time.  I think it's a winning combination and will sustain and grow our charity.  My hope is that this is an eco model we can build on, improve and take to other regions of the world."

Additional Information:

Our School: http://planetbiodiesel.org/our-school.html

Making Biodiesel: http://planetbiodiesel.org/boidiesel-basic.html

Planet Biodiesel Outreach Cambodia

http://www.planetbiodiesel.org/

Phum Mondol1, Ekreach St. Sihanoukville, Cambodia

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