Good morning Sue and RC Port Phillip team,
We hope you’re all well, and happy new year!!
For much of last year it seemed our planet and humanity have been on the verge of imploding… With so many challenges and conflicts all over the world, we feel blessed to have achieved so much in Cambodia this year, not least of which are our 18 university graduates and 10 new students.
Samach and Doeb are first generation CRST students, raising their son, Thavout, in their newly-built home
Our family has just returned from Cambodia, where we spent time with our students and alumni in Siem Reap, as well as more than 50 alumni now living and working in Phnom Penh. We feel deeply humbled to witness these once-rural “village kids” grow into the social leaders our society so urgently needs.
With our students at the CRST campus in Siem Reap. Bicycle distribution at a rural school
Not only have they lifted themselves and their families out of poverty, but they continue to give back - contributing to their communities each week with purpose, compassion, and leadership.
Water filtration system at a rural school. New school library
While in Cambodia, we helped to set-up and open a new library at a rural school serving more than 1,000 students, distributed bicycles to rural students to support their access to education, and joined the Angkor Wat Half Marathon - raising $7,000 to help build homes for impoverished rural families.
Siem Reap alumni Phnom Penh alumni
We genuinely appreciate your support and commitment over the years. The impact we are creating together is not only life-changing, but socially transformational. At a time when the world is seeking strong social and civic leadership, our shared commitment is helping to build the more equitable, just, and empowered society we all aspire to.
With your support, we are enabling people to help themselves - and in turn, to help others. This impact is already reaching multiple generations, as our alumni support their elderly parents while educating their own children.
As our work continues to create real, sustainable social change, we are already seeing the green shoots of impact - our students are graduating, gaining meaningful employment, supporting their families, and stepping forward as leaders in their communities.
With gratitude and love, and wishing you all a wonderful 2026, 🌟🎉🌟Jess and Aviv
Jessica Palti and Aviv Palti
Co-Founders | Directors
Cambodia Rural Students Trust
Breaking the Poverty Cycle through Education
Education • Community • Empowerment
Breaking the Poverty Cycle through Education
Education • Community • Empowerment
Empowered, a new generation of leaders by Aviv Palti |