Laura's Dream
Phnom Krom Road, Treak Village, Siem Reap, Cambodia. Google Maps
Our shop
Laura's Dream is Treak Creations' shop, located on the main road towards Phnom Krom and the Tonlé Sap lake. Everything we sell is made by local women, trained and employed in our own workshop at Treak Community Centre.
What's in a name?
The shop is named after Laura Simpson. Though she never visited Cambodia, her life story was the inspiration behind Treak Creations and the work done by Salin and her team.
Laura
Treak Community Centre is run by Salin and her staff of local Cambodians, supported by her English husband, Michael.
Laura Simpson was Michael's mother. She was born in 1930s Britain and came from a poor working-class family. Her father was absent for six years, fighting in the Second World War. Laura was extremely clever, but state school ended for her generation at fifteen, and she left to become a wage earner. She became a skilled seamstress.
Laura believed education was the path to opportunity, and worked tirelessly to support and encourage her own children to attend school, college and university for as long as they wished. Her family meant everything to her, and she was extremely proud of her children.
Laura passed away all too early in 1998, at the age of 64, but had seen her dream brought to life through her children's lives and achievements.
Salin
Salin's story mirrors the one lived fifty years earlier by Michael's mother, Laura.
Salin too grew up in a poor family, in the extremely challenging years immediately after the Khmer Rouge. Her father was also absent for long periods and, like Laura she had to leave school early to work and support her family.
Though she is highly intelligent, she remains acutely aware of her curtailed education. At nineteen she grabbed the chance of some free sewing training offered by a charity. Having had that opportunity herself, Salin is now determined to help Cambodians realise their potential through education and skills training.
So, there you have it: "Laura's Dream"
Laura Simpson's dream of access to education, and her spirit of dogged resilience, is alive and well through the passion of Salin and her team in Treak village.
The proceeds from the sale of Treak Creations' products directly support Treak Community Centre, helping it provide free education for the young people of this community, and valuable training and employment for local women.
Come and see
Visit the shop, walk through the village with somebody who lives here, or spend three hours at a sewing machine with the women who make everything we sell.
Meet The Team
Salin
Founder & CEO of Treak Creations
Nirann
Social Media and Marketing
Dara
Sewing Teacher
Sear
Seamstress and Sales Assistant at Laura's Dream
