The History

SPOONS Cambodia Organization started as EGBOK Mission

When EGBOK first began in 2009, we provided supplemental classes, housing, job and financial support to young disadvantaged Cambodians studying at other hospitality schools in Siem Reap. From then EGBOK had grown into its own Training and Internship Program formally recognized by the Cambodian Government. We provide holistic training and life skills development to young adults from Cambodia’s most underserved communities, with over 200 alumni now employed in top hospitality jobs across Siem Reap and beyond. The idea of enhancing our program with an on-site training café was there from the start, but it was not until later that we were able to make it a reality. 

In 2016, SPOONS Café and Restaurant opened its bamboo gates, marking the next chapter for EGBOK. By providing additional learning space, the café allowed EGBOK to expand its program’s culinary curriculum, offer invaluable hands-on service training for the students, and increase the number of students we could admit each year. The profits were channeled directly back in support of EGBOK, helping us achieve greater financial stability and sustainability. The café also served as a multipurpose space for the community, where we could welcome guests and treat them to authentic Cambodian cuisine and hospitality, and showcase the sustainability initiatives that define the SPOONS experience—and the greater local Siem Reap community as a whole. 

In February 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic seriously hit Cambodia. We tried to survive for more than 11 months as a foreign charity but were eventually forced to close EGBOK.

However, our Cambodian team immediately showed interest in continuing the EGBOK legacy as a local non-profit organization. The team was able to put together a newly-designated local Board of Advisors comprised of both Khmer and Expat professionals, all leaders in their field and deeply invested in EGBOK’s work over the years, to continue and preserve EGBOKs positive impact on disadvantaged youth in Cambodia.

It was always our vision to train the local team and offer them the opportunity to one day lead EGBOK independently. We strongly believe that there was no better time to make the transition to a local NGO, supported by a strong local board with EGBOK’s best interest at heart.  Instead of letting the pandemic take EGBOK hostage, this new framework represented the perfect opportunity to create a bright new future where teachers, students, and stakeholders alike pull through this together and became even stronger than before. The previous EGBOK Board therefore unanimously agreed to support this transition and worked closely with the new Board and the Cambodian team on the transition including registering EGBOK as a local NGO.

To register EGBOK as a local NGO the team had to re-brand “EGBOK” into “SPOONS Cambodia Organization”.  The current EGBOK foreign charity ceased and transferred all physical assets of the Learning Center and SPOONS to the new local entities; “SPOONS Cambodia Organization” (NGO) and “SPOONS Café & Restaurant” (Social Enterprise) to help keep the EGBOK Vision alive.