Dave Emery '06

Volunteer, International Director of Bareebo (bareebo.org), and grad student

After graduating from the Geography-Anthropology program in 2006, David quickly put his degree to work. He began volunteering and working at a couple community development NGOs in Cambodia from 2006-2009. In 2009 he co-founded and became co-director of Bareebo: Tuk, Aha, Sahmahtupeeup (Enough: Water, Food, Ability) in Banan village, Battambang province, Cambodia. Bareebo is a local community development non-profit that focuses on:

• Water security: rainwater harvesting, home scale water filters, shallow pump wells, EcoSan latrines

• Food security: organic home gardening, cash cropping, fruit tree planting

• Capacity building: community development, monitoring and maintaining water & food projects

• Economic development :combining water, food, ability to spawn economic development, primarily through farmers collectively growing high value crops using water infrastructure in the dry season—almost zero water access in the 6 month long dry-season in Cambodia—and selling them to local and regional markets

As if that didn't keep him busy enough, he earned his master's degree from Iowa State’s distance learning graduate program for community development. Most importantly, David and Im Sreymum, a local Khmer woman, were married in 2010 and he reports that they are unbelievably happy together!