We had some fun with logistics due to COVID and Cambodia rainy season, but after much ado, we have taken the next significant step forward!!!

We took some well-spent time getting the language of our MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) between the NGO and the Donors within everyone’s expectations . While a new experience for the Donors, the MOU proved to be an instrumental component for expectations management during a school-building project funded by Donorship. The document itself is primary a detail-driven good-faith promise, written in the language of a contract, with commitments from the Donors and the NGO. In a business relationship, we use contracts which outline expectations and payment milestones, but a 501c3 effort is a little different. An MOU is specifically intended to not act as a legal contract for delivery of services to the Donors, as the services rendered are directly materialized in the target community which will own the school. Even so, it is important that all parties understand what will happen, what order those things will happen, what the definition-of-done is for each of those things, and what payment schedule is expected.

We are very excited, as we now have everything we need to start laying the school foundation! The requisites were (1) the road built to bring in the construction equipment and supplies required to build the school itself, and (2) getting the milestones and other surrounding MOU language aligned to favorable completion, (3) getting the first payment itself wired over through the NGO. All of these requirements have been fulfilled as of 2022.03.14!

Stay tuned! We will post our progress and pictures as we go forward! Thank you to everyone involved and all supporters of this effort. We are truly grateful for this opportunity to live out our dreams of showing gratitude for our blessings by helping provide a safe, community-owned learning environment for our rural Cambodian friends and family.