03/27/2026
https://gofund.me/84faa05e3
Sharing Experiences for Health in Cambodia
Community Safety, First Aid & Prevention Programmes
Founder Background: James D. Garcia
Sharing Experiences for Health in Cambodia was founded by James D. Garcia, a career paramedic with over 35 years of experience in emergency healthcare and public safety.
Prior to his work in Cambodia, James played a significant role in road safety advocacy in the United States, following a serious incident while responding to a traffic accident. This led him
to campaign for improved protections for emergency responders, contributing to the development and nationwide adoption of “Move Over” laws, which require drivers to slow down and give space to emergency vehicles.
This experience established a strong foundation in:
Injury prevention
Road safety awareness
Public education to reduce avoidable harm
Since coming to Cambodia nearly 20 years ago, this background has informed a consistent approach focused on practical, prevention-based education delivered directly within
communities.
Today, the integration of road safety awareness, drowning prevention and first aid training
reflects this combined expertise - bringing together emergency response knowledge with
proactive strategies to reduce risk and save lives.
1. Organisational Background
Sharing Experiences for Health in Cambodia is a long-standing NGO with nearly 20 years of
experience delivering healthcare, emergency response training, and community education
across Cambodia.
Over this time, the organisation has:
Delivered medical care to over 10,000 patients in rural communities
Trained over 35,000 children and teachers in emergency response, first aid and CPR.
Built strong partnerships with schools, teachers, and local leaders.
Developed practical, community-based training programmes adapted to low-resource
environments
Built strong partnerships with organisations, government and ministries (full list at the
end).
Our work has evolved from direct medical support into sustainable education and
prevention, equipping communities with the knowledge to respond to emergencies and
reduce avoidable harm.
2. Core Programme: Medical Assistant Training (MAT) & First
Aid Education
A central pillar of our work is the development and delivery of the Medical Assistant Training
(MAT) programme, alongside community-based first aid education.
This programme includes:
First aid and CPR training
Emergency response skills
Practical, scenario-based learning
Training delivered in Khmer and tailored to local contexts
The MAT programme has been developed over many years to:
Address the lack of accessible emergency response knowledge
Provide practical, life-saving skills that can be used immediately
Contribute toward strengthening pre-hospital care capacity in Cambodia
This foundation provides a proven, structured platform for wider safety education
programmes.
3. Proven Community Impact
Through nearly two decades of work, we have:
Reached thousands of children and community members
Delivered consistent, practical training in rural schools
Established trust and access within underserved communities
Field experience has shown that:
Children are often first responders in emergencies involving peers
Basic knowledge of first aid and safety significantly improves outcomes
Schools provide the most effective platform for large-scale education
4. Programme Evolution: Drowning Prevention & Road Safety
Integration
Building on our established MAT and first aid programmes, we have integrated drowning
prevention and road safety awareness into our education delivery.
This expansion has been driven by ongoing risks identified through our fieldwork, particularly:
High exposure to water environments (rivers, ponds, flood zones)
Limited awareness of safe behaviours around water
Increasing road risks in both rural and developing urban areas
Drowning Prevention
Water risk awareness
Safe behaviour around water
Peer rescue awareness (what to do and what to avoid)
Basic emergency response
Road Safety Awareness
Understanding traffic risks
Safe crossing behaviours
Awareness of vehicles and blind spots
Practical, age-appropriate safety habits
This integration allows us to expand beyond emergency response into prevention, addressing
the root causes of avoidable injury and death.
5. Delivery Model & Capacity
Current Delivery Capacity (Fully Funded)
With full funding, our current team is able to deliver:
4 schools per week
200–500 children per session
800–2,000 children reached weekly
Programme delivery includes:
MAT-informed first aid and CPR education
Drowning prevention
Road safety awareness
Sessions are delivered using:
Visual demonstrations
Interactive engagement
Scenario-based learning
All designed for low-resource environments with high impact.
Scalable Growth: Train-the-Trainer Model
To expand beyond direct delivery, we have developed a Train-the-Trainer (ToT) programme.
This model enables:
Training of teachers and local facilitators
Long-term knowledge retention within schools
Expansion without proportional increases in delivery cost
With additional funding, this approach would:
Rapidly increase programme reach across provinces
Enable simultaneous delivery in multiple locations
Transition towards a locally embedded, sustainable model
Future Capacity Vision
With strategic support, we aim to:
Establish regional training hubs
Build a network of trained local facilitators
Scale into a nationally deployable child safety education model
6. Why This Approach Works
Built on 20 years of in-country experience
Uses a proven training foundation (MAT programme)
Integrates prevention with emergency response
Delivered directly where risk is highest — in schools
Designed to be low-cost, scalable, and sustainable
7. Alignment with Global Priorities
This programme aligns with the objectives of:
World Health Organization
UNICEF
Road safety initiatives supported by FIA Foundation
It supports:
Child injury prevention
Community-based health education
Scalable public health interventions
8. Opportunity for Scale
With the right partnerships, this programme can:
Reach tens of thousands of children annually
Expand into high-risk regions
Integrate into national safety strategies
Serve as a scalable model for prevention-focused education
9. Current Position
We are:
Already delivering programmes on the ground
Backed by nearly 20 years of experience
Operating with a proven and scalable model
We are now seeking:
Strategic alignment
Technical collaboration
Opportunities to support wider implementation
10. Closing Statement
Our focus is clear:
To combine 20 years of experience with proven training systems to deliver practical, scalable
education that prevents avoidable injury and saves lives.
Share the Health Cambodia
Partnership Portfolio & Historical Collaborations
EIN: 26-3197720
Strengthening Cambodia's emergency care capacity since 2008
I. Clinic Era (2008-2010)
During its founding years, Share the Health Cambodia established deep relationships with national
leaders, hospitals, and international NGOs to deliver direct patient care, rural outreach, and clinical
support.
Government & National Institutions-
HE Nhem Thavy - National Assembly, Secretary, Commission on Human Rights: Supported rural health
access initiatives; facilitated permissions for mobile clinics-
HE Nguon Nhel - President, National Assembly: High-level support for clinic operations and rural
outreach-
Dr. Nhem Ping - President, Cambodian Doctors Association: Physician coordination, clinical oversight-
HE Hor Namhong - Minister of Foreign Affairs: Facilitated international cooperation and medical
volunteer access-
Ministry of Health - Dept. of International Cooperation: MOU partner for rural clinic development,
medical supply coordination-
Dr. Bou Saing - Director, Community Health Programs: Village health outreach, maternal/child health
support-
Cambodian Red Cross: Joint clinical missions, emergency patient care, rural screenings
Hospitals & Medical Foundations-
Dr. Beat Richner (Beatocello) - Angkor Children's Hospital, Siem Reap: Pediatric referrals, surgical
coordination, emergency care support-
Cambodia Eye Clinic, Phnom Penh: Vision screenings, surgical referrals-
Smile Train: Cleft lip/palate referrals and patient coordination-
Jeremiah's Hope: Pediatric support, community health outreach
International NGOs & Faith-Based Partners-
Foundation Kivna - Catherine Tahan: Midwife services, maternal health-
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints - Elder Dickinson: Facilities grant, clinic infrastructure
support-
Cambodia Lake Clinic - Jon Morgan, Director: Floating clinic support, patient transport coordination
Operation Kids - Dr. Reif Sheftall: Pediatric care, surgical support-
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF): Emergency medical support, infectious disease coordination-
People's Improvement Organization (PIO) - Phymean Noun: Orphanage health screenings, first aid,
patient care-
World Vision Cambodia: Community health programs, malnutrition screening-
World Bank Cambodia - Timothy Johnston: Health systems strengthening, rural health data
coordination
II. Post-Clinic Era (2010-2016)
As the clinic phase concluded, Share the Health Cambodia shifted toward capacity building, training,
and community-based emergency response development.
CAMSAFE Cambodian Road Safety Project - Kong Sovann & Socheat Phan: Early EMS system design, first responder training, road safety
New Life Ministries: Community health education, first aid workshops-
Angkor Road: Youth outreach, health education-
Smile Train: Continued surgical referrals and patient support
III. EMS Development & COVID Era (2016-2021)
This era marked the transition into national EMS development, leadership training, and pandemic
response support.-
Mentoring Growing Leaders - Charles E. McCaul: Community responder leadership training-
MTI International: Disaster preparedness, emergency skills training-
Side By Side International - Akiko Sasaki: Distribution of medical supplies, rural health support-
Surgeons for Cambodia - Dr. Stephen Schwartz: Trauma care collaboration, surgical training-
Cambodia Medical Students Association - Dr. Elliott Brender: Clinical skills workshops, medical
student training
Bileg Sold Rock Orphanage Schools - Dr. Felipe Castro: Child safety, hygiene programs, first aid
IV. MAT Era (2021-Present)
The Medical Assistant Training (MAT) program became the core of Share the Health Cambodia's
mission, expanding through national partnerships and international support.
Government & Academic Partners
Stop The Bleed Medical Certification Instructor, clinical methodology certification
Ministry of the Interior (Revised MOI): MAT training for police, community responders-
Cambodia Peace Forum - HE Sec. of State Sourn Sereyratha: Train-the-trainer expansion; independent
MAT instruction
Puthisastra University - Dr. Ian Findlay: University-level emergency care training-
AGA Institute: Community health and emergency skills development
Uong Saroen, Governor Baray District. Regional logistic support for community training
Baray- Santouk Referral Hospital: Integrate MAT Training for employees- Dr Mony
Restore One Charities Orphanage: First aid and emergency response training
Baray Santouk Police Service: MAT training as a community service
Wat Baray, Kampong Thom: Community MAT training for Monks, staff and community
Wisdom Nest Schools, Baray District– MAT training for students
Faith-Based & Community Partners
Lifeway Lutheran Church: Rural training missions, volunteer mobilization
Restore One Charities Orphanage: First aid, emergency response training
Generations for America, Ingrid Centurion. Promotional support
Seyla Nhean, Founder Khmer-American Advocacy and Policy Organization (KAAPO)
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