From a very early age, I knew that helping the less fortunate would be a significant part of my life’s work. Over the past three decades, it has been both rewarding and inspirational to see the people of Cambodia rebuild their country after the devastation they experienced during a decade of war, disease and famine. Today, Cambodia is almost unrecognizable from the Cambodia I first visited almost 30 years ago.
When I founded The Handa Foundation in 2012, it was a natural progression from the work I had been and continue to be a part of in Phnom Penh – such as serving as the Chancellor of the University of Cambodia, serving as the Founder of the Sihanouk Hospital, and supporting various projects of the Cambodian Red Cross. The Handa Foundation has intentionally expanded into the more rural and impoverished areas of Cambodia, serving a population of people who continue to feel the lingering effects of war and poverty.
My heartfelt thanks go out to the people, both in and outside of Japan, who have supported the work of The Handa Foundation. The support we have received from the Cambodian Ministry of Health, the Cambodian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the current and former Provincial Governors of Battambang, as well as the Battambang Provincial Health Department – has been strong, consistent and deeply appreciated. I am also thankful for the staff and volunteers of The Handa Foundation throughout Southeast Asia who strive every day to deliver compassionate health care and life-changing education to the people in the region who need it most.
