About Us
RISC Mission Statement
The Returnee Integration Support Center is a Cambodian non-governmental humanitarian organization facilitating the integration into Cambodian society of people who were admitted to the United States as refugees and are being deported to Cambodia. Through our services we provide assistance with documentation, employment, housing and referral services, in order to support returnees who seek assistance in becoming independent and productive members of society.
RISC Staff
Mr. Im Song
Administration / Finance and Site Manager
Mr. Im Song was born in 1964 at Battambang, Cambodia. In December 2002, he volunteered to come back to Cambodia. He has three children, the two oldest are living with their mother in the USA. His youngest son is living with him in Cambodia. Mr. Im Song’s first job in Cambodia was with KIDS Guesthouse as an Assistant Manager. His second job was with RAP as a Site Manager and his third job was with the Elephant Valley Project as a Site Manager. In July 2009, he jointed RISC as the Administration / Finance and Site Manager.
Mr. Keo Sarith
Liaison Officer & Case Manager
Mr. Keo Sarith is the Liaison Officer and Case Manager for RISC. As the Liaison Officer he works closely with returnees to help them obtain important documents, i.e., family book, birth certificate, national identification, driver’s license and passport. He also works on the Case Management team helping the case managers with their duties. He graduated from high school in 1993 and studied social sciences for two years at the Phnom Penh University. In addition, Mr. Sarith completed a Case Management course through the Rhode Island College. Amongst his many talents he worked for the United Nations Human Right Center (UNHRC) for one year as a teacher to prison police officials on human rights issues.
Mr. Keo Sarith is married and has two children. He resides in Phnom Penh and he like to play sports, lift weights and listen to music.
Board of Directors
Mr. Bill Herod
Consultant/Founder of RAP
Bill Herod, born in Indiana in 1945, served with Church World Service in Viet-Nam, Hong Kong and the US from 1966 to 1986, then as director of the Indochina Project in Washington, DC. In 1994, Bill moved to Cambodia where he has served as country director of the American Friends Service Committee, Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation and the Returnee Assistance Program (the predecessor of RISP). He has also worked as information officer of the NGO Forum and as IT specialist for the International Development Research Center.
Mr. Daniel Talstra
Partner Advisor/Chair of the Board
Daniel Talstra was born in Canada in 1981. He received a BA in Geography from Trinity Western University in Vancouver in 2004. Since then he has lived and worked in British Columbia, Washington State and New York State working for various social service organizations. In 2008 he moved to Cambodia where he works for the Mennonite Central Committee as a partner advisor to a number of local organizations. These have included the Royal University of Agriculture, Clear Cambodia, and the Returnee Integration Support Center. In March 2011, Daniel accepted a nomination to Chair the RISC Board of Directors.
Vorsak Bou
Board Treasurer
Vorsak Bou received his master’s degree studies in management from the Royal University of Law and Economics. His bachelor’s in accounting is from the National University of Management as well as bachelor degrees in geography and psychology from the Royal University of Phnom Penh. He has worked as a short term researcher and consultant with several NGOs. He also has worked longer term at Pestalozzi Children Foundation and WATHNAKPHEAP. He has worked at BirdLife International in Indochina, Cambodia Programme since August, 2005 as Finance Officer/Administrative and in 2006 until present is Acting Programme Manager.
Tina Franke
Board Member
Tan Sonec
Board Member