Village of Hope Ministries is located in Toch Village, Chook District, Kampot Province, Cambodia. The small village is roughly two hours south of Phnom Penh, or frankly put, “in the middle of nowhere.” Toch Village is home to our ministry founder, Vuthy, and his family, among 2,500 other people. In 2009, when Vuthy returned to his native home, he was the only Christian influence across the entire village. Now, 10 years later, an estimated 95% of the village still identifies with Buddhism, but 2% of the village has grown to identify with Christianity, while the remainder is represented by agnostics or people who believe there to be no existence of God.
Toch Village is a beautiful picture of God’s creation, offering an environment that is as refreshing to the eyes as it is to the lungs! Everywhere you turn there is an abundance of palm, coconut and mango trees, and past the trees you will see beautiful mountain ranges stretching across the skyline. God displays more of his creation every evening by painting the most beautiful sunsets with radiant hues of purples, pinks, oranges, and blues. Navigating through the village down the orange dirt roads, you will be passed by entire families on motorbikes, kids riding bicycles, and cows being walked by their owners. Most families live in houses raised on stilts, so they stretch hammocks across every square inch of the space underneath. As Cambodia is well known for its extreme heat and humidity, the hammocks are the perfect location to escape the hot sun, take a nice nap – or enjoy a free sauna!
Toch Village is full of traditions. We welcome you to experience our culture with us!
Khmer culture runs thick among Toch Village people. The local culture is extremely communal, family-oriented, and welcoming. We value honor and seek to honor our families in all we do. Our cuisine consists of many delicious meals that almost always include a kick of spice, and one of our favorite foods is a rice soup called “borbora” in Khmer. Also, it is very common – and fun – to get drinks in a bag. Some refreshing drinks that can be found on almost any road in Cambodia are sugar cane juice, tea, and iced coffee with sweetened condensed milk. The people in Toch Village also love traditions. One entertaining Cambodian tradition, that locals like to call mud fishing, happens annually across Toch Village during the dry season. During this time, families drain their ponds in order to water fields and animals. After the water has been removed from the pond, everyone eagerly jumps in the mud to catch the fish that remain!
YDC Kampot 