Our Story

Wanting to help those less fortunate, Kris and her partner, Geoffrey, began sponsoring several children through an existing charity in Cambodia’s capital, Phnom Penh in 2010. When visiting the country for the first time in early 2011, their first-hand observations of the reality of entrenched poverty strengthened their desire to help children gain access to education that would enable them to improve their living situations.

Returning to Cambodia over the next couple of years, Kris and Geoffrey were struck by the willingness of the people to work but the hopelessness they felt because they did not have sufficient education and vocational training to find good jobs. 

On each of their trips, Phirom Som, an English-speaking guide, was their constant link in Cambodia. Having a love for his country and a wish to help his people, he introduced Kris and Geoffrey to a particularly poor community that he knew of on the outskirts of Siem Reap. Phirom expressed a wish to help the many families there who were living in extreme poverty and struggling to send their children to school. 

Kris and Geoffrey shared their many experiences with Sue, her partner Glen, and other family and friends, and this led, in 2012, to Kris and Geoffrey taking Sue’s children, Josh and Cassie (then 11), to Cambodia to experience the differences for children in developing countries.  Josh and Cassie were amazed at their good fortune in comparison with the families they met and the visit inspired in them a desire to help, as well as a love for the country and people of Cambodia.

On returning home, Josh and Cassie kept asking what could be done to help the children in Cambodia so, after many discussions between Kris, Sue and their families, the plan to establish a charitable organisation was born. Hence, Building Brighter Futures Foundation (or BBFF) came into being in 2013. 

Kris, Sue, Geoffrey and Glen are Directors, Cassie and Josh are Honorary Junior Directors and Phirom, who heads BBFF Cambodia, is our very able In-Country Coordinator working directly with the communities we support.

BBFF is entirely voluntarily-run. The directors maintain control of the projects we support and ensure that donations are fully utilised on the ground. We work with two communities in Cambodia and hope, in time, to be able to broaden our focus to other communities needing similar support.