Written by: Tanya Lasko
My name is Tanya Lasko, and I am the operations manager at Saving Moses. I have been traveling with Sarah, the founder of Saving Moses, on program trips for years. I’ve seen start-up NightCare centers grow into thriving, safe nighttime homes for babies and toddlers.
I’ve walked through a lot of hard places with Sarah.
But this alley in Cambodia?
It just might top the list.
On our most recent trip to check in on the NightCare Centers there, we spent a day looking for someone. A little girl who’s now a teenager — one Sarah remembered from the early days of NightCare.
We set out toward the railroad tracks, not knowing which direction to go. Left or right. We picked left. And that’s when I saw it.
Homes that weren’t houses as we understand them — just shacks of wood planks suspended above what looked like water, but smelled like something else entirely. Toddlers playing on splintered boards with nothing but a straw. Trash heaps that doubled as playgrounds. It broke something in me.
And it made something clear to me: That some of our NightCare graduates say that the shower was the most meaningful part of their night — I finally get it.
When everything around you is that dirty…
When you’re playing in trash and sleeping in sewage…
A warm bath and clean pajamas must feel more like a miracle than a simple necessity.
Eventually, we found the alley Sarah remembered — and we found the “home” of the little girl she couldn’t forget. Bo Pa wasn’t there anymore. But the moment felt sacred.
Back at the NightCare center, the babies and toddlers were arriving. I toured the upstairs for the first time, dreaming of what more we could offer these little ones.
And then I saw him.
A little boy I’d met on a previous trip — so withdrawn, so attached to his nanny, he couldn’t play. And this time?
He was mouthing the words to the songs. Doing the motions. Playing Duck, Duck, Goose without help. No eye contact yet. He’s not even really speaking yet. But that’s okay. Healing takes time. But I saw it. I saw the transformation coming.
This is the work that NightCare does. But it’s not just about one night of care.
It’s about many nights. It’s about restoring dignity. Giving babies a clean space, a kind touch, and a second chance.
And maybe — just maybe — it’s about making a shower feel like a miracle.
It’s not just a story about poverty.
It’s a story about what your generosity makes possible — warm showers, clean clothes, a bed, a song, a second chance.
Thank you for being a part of helping us give these little ones a second chance.
If you’re moved by the stories and want to do even more, please consider giving a gift today — and help another baby find safety, dignity, and hope.
Tanya Lasko
Program Director, Saving Moses
