Marie Hill started working with Cambodians in 1991 with a Christian development NGO in the Cambodian refugee camps in Thailand. At the end of 1993 she went to work in Phnom Penh at first studying the language in a and in 1995 setting up Rajana, a practical skill training and income generating project, training young and disadvantaged Cambodians in arts, crafts, marketing, finance and production skills.
Rajana now has three shop outlets - two in Phnom Penh and one in Siem Reap.
At the end of 2001 Rajana was a fully sustainable project.
A successful transition from SAO the international NGO to the trained Cambodian management team was completed, Rajana registered as a local Cambodian arts and crafts association.
Saomao was opened in Siem Reap in 2001 by Marie and works of models developed from her experience establishing Rajana.