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In early 2020, World Housing set out to raise $400,000 to provide 200 women with the safety and security of a home through the construction of the Girls to Grannies Village. This community arose from a collaboration with our partners at Cambodian Children’s Fund, who were looking to provide safer housing for girls and women living in the slums of Steung Meanchey, Cambodia.
When we made the call out to our donors to fund the community, John Rider, the Senior VP of Chicago Title Insurance Company, didn’t hesitate and was one of the first to pledge funds for the Girls to Grannies Village. The opportunity to fund the library was especially profound to this organization and their support has been instrumental in making the library possible for the community.
World Housing ‘House Party 2020’ Fundraiser for the Girls to Grannies Community. Left to right: Don McQuaid, Managing Director World Housing; Richard Bell, World Housing Founder and Founding Partner of Bell Alliance LLP; Jake Fry, Small Housing BC; John Rider, Senior VP, Chicago Title Insurance Company.
On behalf of his company, John pledged to fund the construction of the entire library that will be filled with Khmer and English books. It’s a lovely, peaceful space for both adults and children to learn in. They use the community libraries as a place to read, study, attend group learning activities, and the grannies also take evening language classes there.
World Housing holistic communities are built on the pillars of safe housing; and access to education and healthcare. Through creating this important infrastructure of basic needs, we empower them with the tools needed to pursue an education. We see this library as a beacon of knowledge, and safe space open to all for the purpose of increasing education, skills, and knowledge that will help transform their own lives and that of their families for generations to come.
The Chicago Title Insurance Company Library is an important part of the community compound and will have a significant impact on increasing the skill set of the younger girls who are attending school and the grannies who are as committed to new learning. We see this library as a pillar of upward social mobility that is open to all members of this community. In tandem with homes and the rest of the community amenities, we will provide marginalized women with all the resources that they need to escape from the trap of poverty.
See the story of Sophie who was provided a safe World Housing home and hear her story of how this along with access to learning English enabled her to attend university to study International Relations.
Thanks to John Rider and the entire team at Chicago Title Insurance Company! Along with our donor community the entire Girls to Grannies Village community is fully funded and construction is currently underway. We are slated to gift the library in a ribbon-cutting ceremony in November this year.
If you’d like to learn more, please get in touch: [email protected] www.worldhousing.org