The Tonle Sap is the largest freshwater lake in South East Asia and serves as home to some of the poorest and most remote villages in Cambodia. Over 1 million people live on and around the lake. The majority of families rely on subsistence fishing for survival and the average family income is $2.50 per day.

A lack of education combined with limited access to hygiene and sanitation contribute to a huge burden of preventable diseases. There are no health centers or hospitals on the lake, and in some villages there is no teacher for the school.

The lake changes drastically between the wet and the dry seasons as the Mekong River increases hugely in volume and reverses the flow of the Tonle Sap River. During the dry season, the lake has an average depth of 0.5m and an area of 2700km2. This increases to a depth of 9m and an area of 16,000km2 during the high water season.

This drastic change makes travel difficult, time-consuming, and the extreme poverty discourages families from seeking health care due to the high cost of transport and treatment. Travel to the mainland can cost up to $50 in diesel fuel, an amount that is cost prohibitive to most families.