Welcome to Journeys Within Our Community

JWOC is building a new building! Find out more and how you can help below...

Journeys Within Our Community (JWOC) is an organization founded on the idea of empowerment and practical support for those that need it most. The idea began when Brandon and Andrea Ross, owners of Journeys Within Tour Company and B&B, came to Cambodia and wanted to give back to the community in which they lived and worked. By receiving donations and support from their guests, they were able to start the initial projects, which quickly broadened and Journeys Within Our Community was born.

In the past five years JWOC has become a positive force for change in Southeast Asia, working on projects in Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and Myanmar. With the motto “See a Problem, Solve a Problem,” JWOC works with local communities on the issues facing them and then involves guests and donors in providing a solution.

Latest News

March 2010: Buy a Brick (or twenty!) for local communities in Siem Reap!

Progress towards our goal

"Bricks" needed: 992

JWOC is very excited to announce that work has started on a new building at its Community Center location in Siem Reap. The work started on 20th February and the first phase is scheduled to finish in the late Spring. In this new building JWOC hopes to expand the size and depth of its projects. We will be able to offer more classes to more students, increase our ability to hold educational workshops for staff and scholarship students, house a new library that will be a unique resource for local communities and offer computer classes in a purpose built computer/language lab.

We would like to thank the extremely generous donations we have received to make possible the construction of the downstairs computer lab: Jeff and Tracey Morrell, The O'Connell Family and CA (Computer Associates).

BUT

JWOC still needs funding for the two upstairs rooms. We are all so excited about the possibilities this new space will give to have an even more profound impact on Cambodians living in nearby communities but we need your help to make the upstairs a reality. Combined with the vision of JWOC and the supporting skills of our 70 scholarship students, the upstairs library and classroom will be a huge resource in furthering our mission to develop this wonderful, but poor country.

We need $25,000 to make this project a reality. That is 1,000 "bricks" at $25 per "brick". Can you help us by buying two bricks, ten bricks or even all the remaining bricks? We will recognize each and every donor to this project right here on the website. If you donate 20 bricks ($500) your name will be added to a "significant contributors" plaque once the building is complete. You can check back in regularly to see how we are doing and how close we are to reaching our goal. If you would like to donate please go to Donate Now at the top of the page or click here. Just tell us how many bricks you want to donate in the memo line! Thank you for your support!

Thanks to all of you who have generously sponsored this project: Nick Denny; Chastity Griffin; Carmen Felting...

February 2010 - Children studying with JWOC get involved with Siem Reap's Annual Giant Puppet Project Street Parade

Thirty children from JWOC spent two days at workshops held by Giant Puppet Project Staff in Siem Reap to build a Giant Monkey which was paraded on the streets on Saturday 27th February 2010. This community arts project is held annually to help local disadvantaged children foster self expression and confidence through art. The puppets also highlight the biodiversity in Cambodia and serve as a reminder that we must look after our environment if we do not wish to lose it.

The thirty JWOC kids took a trip to the center of town to show off their work in the parade which moved through the center of Siem Reap on Saturday night. It finished up at the park outside the Raffles Hotel where there was entertainment for the children. It was a really successful night and a great time was had by all!