About Us

Our History

Buddhist Library Cambodia Project (BLCP) started as a small project in 2005 by the late Paget Sayers, a caring Australian businessman. Sayers visited Kampot, a small riverside Cambodian town as a tourist earlier on and saw children and villagers suffering from a lack of clean water for drinking. He also found that many school children missed classes due to diseases caused by consuming contaminated water. The first project which started in a primary school by Sayers was the construction of concrete water tanks which were used to contain harvested rainwater during the rainy season.

To better reflect the scope of our work, from clean water and dental care to education and community programs, the Buddhist Library Cambodia Project (BLCP) officially changed its name to Karuna Children Cambodia Organisation (KCCO) in September 2025. “Karuna,” meaning compassion, represents the heart of all we do.

First Water Tank

Sayers checking out the first concrete water tank that he built in a school in rural Cambodia

A man with a white beard and glasses sitting on a concrete platform next to a water spigot, at an outdoor rural area, filling a green bucket with clean water. A woman and children are standing around, observing the scene.

Sayers was asked of his motivation to help. His simple but profound response was – “Being happy by giving”. This small project from one school since 2005 expanded to cover over 900 schools now in providing drinking water to more than 200,000 children each year under the WASH Program implemented by BLCP (now KCCO). In Australia, Sayers established Asia Aid Limited, which now trades under the name of YourAid with the organisation being responsible for the funding and management oversight of BLCP (now KCCO).

Group of children standing and sitting outside a school building, smiling and waving, with large concrete water tanks nearby.

During his several visits to Cambodia, Sayers found that the children were very enthusiastic in wanting to learn English from him. He could see that if the children were taught an additional international language like English, this would give the children the opportunity to acquire more general knowledge and would enable them to further their education as well increasing their employment prospects. Sayers then initiated English classes in several schools that now sees BLCP (now KCCO) engaging more than 20 casual teachers giving English classes to over 1,000 students daily.

Children sitting at school desks, focusing on their work during class in a classroom with a concrete wall.

Sayers continued to find ways to improve the children’s welfare. He found that many children had very poor dental health and were suffering from significant tooth decay. He wanted to address this problem and finally found the solution in engaging a young but no less enthusiastic Sydney dentist, Cecilia So who was equally keen to be involved in the next project of establishing a dental clinic in a school to serve the local student population.

Children in dental clinic wearing sunglasses and getting dental treatment from dentists.

The first dental clinic was set up in 2008 and the Health & Dental Program now has three dental clinics with one mobile clinic which together provide dental healthcare to over 20,000 students annually. BLCP (now KCCO) is currently the only NGO which provides free dental services in Kampot, Kampong Spieu and Takeo in Cambodia.

Two men, one wearing a dark suit presenting a certificate of recognition to the other in a light blazer with a colorful striped tie.

Award to Sayers

Receiving a certificate of recognition from the Government of Cambodia for the selfless work that he has done for the people of the country.

YourAid and KCCO (formerly BLCP)

YourAid was formally established in 2015 and is a charity organisation registered with the national regulatory body known as Australian Charity and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC). In Australia, the organisation raises funds to undertake projects by its in-country dedicated program partner, Karuna Children Cambodia Organisation (KCCO, formerly BLCP-Buddhist Library Cambodia Project) which is a registered non-governmental organisation with the Cambodian government since 2005.

In addition to funding assistance, YourAid provides effective management oversight and strategic guidance to enable our exclusive partner organisation , KCCO (formerly BLCP) to undertake various health, education and community programs in Cambodia. The work that we do and the services that we provide are accorded without any discrimination of race or religion. The same policy is adhered to in respect to our interactions with all our stakeholders including our employees and volunteers.

Three young boys sitting on a vehicle, reading illustrated storybooks, with other children in the background.

Good governance is considered to be a significant cornerstone for both YourAid and KCCO (formerly BLCP). We therefore ensure that all our activities are undertaken with the greatest professional care. Our teachers are required to undergo regular training in their teaching skills and that all staff are made aware of their obligations to comply with policies safeguarding all stakeholders, particularly children. Dentists in our Health program are checked & supervised YourAid director, Cecilia, a practising dental professional in Australia and who regularly visits Cambodia. Cecilia is a highly regarded dentist and regularly lectures on advanced dentistry in universities. This goes to ensure that the level of services we deliver remains of a high standard.

Dentist and dental assistant performing a dental procedure on a young boy in a clinic.

KCCO (formerly BLCP) operates in Kampot, Kampung Speu and Takeo Province. Currently, the main programs undertaken by KCCO (formerly BLCP) for children and the local community are:

1. Education

KCCO (formerly BLCP) provides after-school English, Computer, Non-formal and Pre-school classes. While Cambodia strives to improve its education system, KCCO (formerly BLCP) aims to supplement any shortfall and equip the students so that they have sufficient English language proficiency and computer skills when they further their studies or enter the workforce. It also supports students for higher learning with scholarships and living assistance.

2. Health Care

Dental care is the primary focus of KCCO (formerly BLCP) under its Health Program. The organisation operates three dental clinics and one mobile clinic that provide full dental services. Other initiatives include oral health education for school children and preventative dental treatment during early childhood, when habits are formed, and early intervention can prevent lifelong dental problems. In addition, eye screening and optical assistance in the form of free spectacles are given to children in need.

3. WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene)

KCCO (formerly BLCP) builds water tanks and installs water purification systems in schools to provide safe drinking water to students. We also construct toilets, handwashing facilities and incinerators in schools that cannot afford such infrastructure. We believe that healthy children are happy children and in turn better students.

4. School Building Development

We help provide school facilities such as new canteens and classroom buildings, to replace dilapidated or poor condition classrooms in schools. These modern and well equipped facilities enable children to have a more positive and encouraging experience in attending school.

5. NGO Support

School Building Development

KCCO (formerly BLCP) supports other local organisations involved in taking care of the welfare of children and in undertaking similar education programs including vocational training for school leaving young adults. These NGOs are well established and properly managed with monitoring by KCCO (formerly BLCP) which channels technical, logistical and financial support.

6. Community Assistance and Development

As children form part of the community, we provide help to families in particularly the rural areas. We assist the poor by facilitating home improvement including constructing latrines, support their children with scholarships for education and meals, emergency food supplies and community education. We strive to make our assistance sustainable including co-funding the startup costs of agricultural projects and other income generating activities.

Children sitting on the wooden floor inside a simple open structure, listening to a woman standing in front of a blackboard outside in a rural area with fields and blue sky.

Our Philosophy

What we do is enable you, the true carer, to make life better for someone else across the world. That is why both KCCO (formerly BLCP) and YourAid act as facilitators and our promise to you is simple : We Deliver to the best of our abilities.

Thanks to the generosity of our primary benefactor, all overhead costs of YourAid in Australia are fully covered by their regular contribution. This means that 100% of every donations from our supporters goes directly towards funding programs and activities in Cambodia, where it is most needed.

Donate

Leadership Team

Directors

Directors of YourAid and KCCO (formerly BLCP)

Management

Management team of YourAid and KCCO (formerly BLCP)