Brandon and Andrea Ross

This accommodation provider has taken action to address one or more issues (whether environmental, social or cultural) which will contribute positively to the long term viability of the destination and hence their site displays a Caring for the destination rating.

Main area of focus in Caring for the Destination:  

Provides training and teaching programs in health, education and business development as well as being registered as a Non-Profit Organisation in the United States.

Detailed description of the Caring for the Destination Initiative: 

When you arrive in Cambodia it is immediately apparent that the people are struggling. Some are struggling to get started. Some are struggling to survive. Everywhere there are opportunities to help.

Within a few weeks of starting our business in Cambodia we knew there had to be more to living here than just Journeys Within Tour Company and B&B.

We wanted to be, we felt we had to be, involved in our local community and it came as no surprise to us when our guests started asking what they could do, how could they make a difference in the people's lives. We even received e-mails from strangers, now friends, in the USA who had heard about us and having visited Cambodia years ago wanted to fulfil a promise to themselves that they would do something for the country.

We started a couple of small projects which began to grow into bigger projects and in no time at all we realised we should register as a non-profit organisation in the USA to give what we were doing a sound basis, to make us accountable for donated monies and to enable our donors to claim tax relief for their contributions.

Journeys Within Our Community (JWOC) strives to create and support projects that will reduce poverty levels and increase educational and economic opportunities throughout Southeast Asia. JWOC provides training and education in the areas of health, education, and business development while adhering to standards of accountability.