Dear Members of FAWCO: Over the past year, FAWCO has brought peace to more than 2500 people in Cambodia through your gifts of wells for the very poorest. Let me share one story:
Dear Members of FAWCO:
Peace on earth. For so many people in Cambodia there is no peace - not because there is war or insecurity - not because there are riots or general discontent - there is no peace because life is too hard.
Peace comes when you have enough to eat - food that fills your belly and nourishes your body. Peace comes when you have enough water to grow your crops year round and can bathe daily. Peace is when children can spend their youth in the search of knowledge by going to school rather than spending their days scouring the countryside for edible foods such as frogs, snails and crickets. Peace is when a father stays home year round because he can grow enough food to feed his family and pay the bills. Peace comes when a mother no longer aches with the pain of untreated illnesses. Peace comes when a healthy child is born and there is enough mothers' milk to nourish the little one. Peace is celebrating all the traditional holidays - being able to buy new clothes, being able to share their food, being able to travel and meet other family members. Peace means that if a problem occurs that will not result in renewed poverty. 
Peace is about being able to celebrate getting married - peace is about laying your loved ones to rest when they pass on without fear on renewed hardships.
Over the past year, FAWCO has brought peace to more than 2500 people in Cambodia through your gifts of wells for the very poorest. Let me share one story. Meut Dani is 42 years old, married with five children. Last year at this time, she was in deep despair. There wasn't enough food for the family to eat; the children spent their days scavenging for food. Her husband was drinking heavily - he felt guilty that he could not care for his family.
Then they received a FAWCO well. It didn't take long to begin growing vegetables - they are now on their fourth cycle of vegetables! 
They bought chickens and piglets - everyone worked hard. Then a miracle - last month three of her children began school. It wasn't easy because the young lady was twelve years old and she had to sit with the grade ones. Meut Dani never believed that her life would be so good. As she said to me, "For the first time since I was young - I can sleep 
through the night - my body aches - not because I am sick - but because I can do so much. My children are laughing - we didn't laugh so much before.
My husband no longer drinks except for a special occasion - he is proud of what he can do. Thank you."
Every family who received a FAWCO well has a similar story - a story of despair turning into one of hope, of discouragement to stories of dreams, of not sleeping to ones where sleep brings a sense of peace.
I want to say thank you to all of you for your grace and kindness. May your new year resound with the peace that you have given to so many here.
Happy New year!
Janne