From 1975 -1979, a communist regime under the leadership of Pol Pot took over Cambodia.  The Communists, the Khmer Rouge, wanted to kill all educated and learned people so they would have less resistance to creating an agrarian culture, which they called, ‘Year Zero’. They abolished cities, currency, identity and religion in an attempt to create this society.  In their five year reign, the Khmer Rouge massacred one-third of the population!

This terrible occurrence has continued to cripple Cambodia to this day:

• More than 50% of the population in Cambodia is under twenty-one years old 
• Less than 5% of primary school teachers in Cambodia have graduated from high school
• 34% of Cambodians live on less than $1 a day
• 10% are engaged in skilled occupation
• They are the poorest country in Southeast Asia
• Less than 1% of Cambodians are Christians

Cambodia needs leaders to rise up and rebuild their country.  They need help socially, economically, politically and spiritually in order to overcome the devastating effects of the Khmer Rouge.