Life After Deportation: A Fundraiser for KVAO
We envision a Cambodia where every returnee is welcomed, supported, and empowered to become a self-reliant, constructive member of society.
Join us for an evening benefiting the Khmer Vulnerability Aid Organization. Featuring performances by Lori Dokken, Doug Anderson, Narate Keys, Laichia Vang and Saymoukda Vongsay.
The Trump administration’s dismantling of USAID in 2025 cut off a major lifeline for deported Cambodian Americans seeking to rebuild their lives. The Khmer Vulnerability Aid Organization (KVAO) in Phnom Penh, Cambodia has been working with those deported and their families for over two decades. KVAO assists clients with temporary housing, legal documentation, and job placement. With the shuttering of USAID, KVAO immediately lost 80 percent of its budget. This fundraiser will support KVAO to continue its services as deportations to Cambodia have increased 10-fold since 2025.
The Khmer Vulnerability Aid Organization is a non-governmental humanitarian agency that facilitates the reintegration of former refugees admitted to the United States who are now being deported to Cambodia because of past convictions. We provide arrival orientation, cultural coaching, informal counseling, documentation assistance, job search assistance, temporary housing, legal monitoring, field outreach, basic medical referrals, and conflict-resolution/mediation services to help clients become self-reliant, constructive members of society.
