One of the
most gratifying rewards of working with our travelers
is to help design journeys that allow their hearts
and souls to be touched by the beauty and pathos
of a country, a culture, and its people. Every
so often, one of our travelers is so moved by
this experience, that his life and those around
him are forever changed for the better.
Such was the case in 1993
when world renowned photographer, Kenro Izu set
out on a photographic trip to Cambodia’s
Angkor monuments. During this journey, Mr.Izu
became deeply moved by his encounters with the
local children, disfigured by landmines and in
desperate need of medical care. As a way of returning
something to Cambodia in exchange for the many
photographic images he captured, and as a symbol
of his gratitude for the profound inspiration
he received from Cambodia's ancient monuments,
he dedicated himself to building a pediatric hospital
near the sacred Angkor Wat temples.
In 1995, Mr. Izu founded
Friends Without A Border, a New York based non-profit
organization dedicated to building and sustaining
the Angkor Hospital for Children and to provide
much needed medical care to the children of Cambodia.
Through donations, grants,
special events and an annual photography auction,
Mr. Izu and Friends Without A Border have successfully
brought together individuals from all over the
world in support of the Angkor Hospital For Children.
The doors of the hospital opened in February 1999.
Today, the Angkor Hospital For Children has treated
over 130,000 children.
Ever
since Mr. Izu conceived the dream of the Angkor
Hospital For Children, Authentic Asia has been
an avid contributor to this project and continues
to support all endeavors related to the maintenance
and expansion of the hospital. A portion of
all proceeds continue to be dedicated to this
tremendous foundation, which has blessed us
with the incredible opportunity to love and
to give, and which we share with you now…
Martina
Patterson
Founder, Authentic Asia and Sacred Travel
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