Holt president and CEO, Phil Littleton, shares an update on Linna in Cambodia, whose family received a new roof from Holt donors in 2019!
In 2019, on a trip to Cambodia, one of our staff met a young girl named Linna and her family.
They learned that if not for the help of a sponsor like you, covering the cost of fees, uniforms, books and supplies, Linna would have to drop out of school. And they soon experienced another critical, immediate way she needed help…
While talking to her family, the winds picked up and the sky started to cloud over. A few drops of rain began to fall.
Her house had no walls or doors, and no real roof — just a series of tarps layered over metal slats to form a makeshift shelter. Her house also had no rooms or floor — just a series of raised wooden platforms set against a cement wall, and separated into partitions by sheets. Electric wires hung every which way, plugging into a single wall outlet.
The rain started to pour. There was barely have room to crowd under Linna’s roof. The ground, moments ago so hard and dry, turned to mud.
Linna said it’s hard to sleep when it rains at night. She has to move around a lot to avoid getting wet from water dripping through the roof. She still got up the next day and went to school. But she was tired and tried to nap during breaks.
When I read this story about Linna in 2019, I felt so grateful that a sponsor stepped up to help her family, but so heartbroken by her living conditions. And I knew the compassionate members of our Holt family would feel the same way.
So that very same year, Holt sponsors and donors like you raised enough funds to help Linna’s family get a new roof — a real roof, made of sturdy tin, that keeps them dry and safe at night.
Linna wanted to express her gratitude to
Holt supporters like you… she is incredibly
grateful to Holt in-country social workers for
always encouraging her to work hard
in school and continue her education.
And just last month, our staff had the opportunity to see Linna again! Today, she is doing very well in school. She is 10th in her class, but she is determined to become number one! She has dreams for her future and wants to become a lawyer when she grows up. Her father is currently saving money to buy land and build his family their own house.
Linna wanted to express her gratitude to Holt supporters like you. She is so happy because she has school materials and pocket money. And she is incredibly grateful to Holt in-country social workers for always encouraging her to work hard in school and continue her education.
I love getting updates like these from children in Holt’s programs. It is such a sweet reminder of the reason why we do all of the work we do at Holt — work made possible through your generosity. Together with you, we are working to make a difference for children and families around the world — changing their lives forever.
For the children,
Phil Littleton, Holt President & CEO
