Inspiring reconnection trip to Cambodia
As many of you would be aware I hosted a trip to Cambodia for a small group of our project supporters last month to reconnect with our teams over there after a four year absence due to covid, so I thought I would provide a brief rundown of what ended up being a really encouraging time for us all.
The main purpose for the trip was to finally cut the ribbon on our brand new (well now slightly used) $500,000 Andong slum village primary school. There was much to celebrate as it was finished on time, under budget and in the middle of the Covid pandemic which is a great credit to our in-country director Pastor Abe and his amazing band of very dedicated staff and parents. The successful culmination of this major infrastructure project is also a reflection of the generosity and foresight of our wonderful supporter base here in Australia who dug deep to make it happen so all in all it was an amazing experience to finally walk through the corridors of this impressive asset to the Andong community.
More than 600 people turned up to the official opening including parents and local government officials who spoke glowingly of the high esteem held for the school and the quality of the education model being implemented at Andong primary school. The provincial governor was quick to point out the great pride he has for the school and is often asked by other government leaders why our graduating slum village students more often than not outperform their middle class peers when going on to public high school. A fantastic achievement given many of our students come from very poor families where they are often the only person in the house who can read and write.
As well as the formalities involved in the official opening celebration, we were also able to bless every one of the hundreds of families whose children attend our school with a large bag of rice to take home which was a moving experience for us all.
After a look around the new school we had a chance to take a stroll through the slum village and meet some of the families we have been supporting over many years through the free education of their children, house building initiatives, medical provisions and emergency aid. Of great encouragement was the number of families who said they can stand on their own now after coming from a situation of complete hopelessness and squalor just a few years ago.
We also ventured north to visit our other primary school in remote Oddar Meanchey (OM) province where over 700 villagers turned up for a very special celebration to recognise and award the top five students from each year level at our primary campus. Just prior to the formalities our team was humbled to be given the honour of serving breakfast to over 400 students (not the full complement as it was actually their day off!) which was undertaken in great spirit. The free food program is an integral part of the overall approach at both of our schools so it was great to be able to be involved in this first hand.
It was evident once again on this occasion just how much of a beacon of hope this school has become for the families and wider community in OM who value so highly the quality of the education that is being delivered to over 550 local youngsters. Many of the students who were a product of our successful system before our current cohort have gone on to excel in high school and continue on to tertiary education in Phnom Penh so there is an air of anticipation and hope in this community.
Having said that, there are still plenty of families doing it really tough in OM post-Covid as they struggle to re-engage with any meaningful form of employment so with this in mind the highlight for most of us on this trip was day six when we took to the backroads of OM in a rickety old wooden trailer delivering emergency food aid to some desperately needy families.
Armed with 50kg bags of rice and cooking oil and sauces we went from house to house where most were not expecting us and it was quite humbling how often upon our arrival they rushed inside to get their rice storage containers to reveal just a handful of grains in the bottom and no plans how they would feed their families beyond that day.
Interestingly, during the food drop some of the top student awards from the day before re-surfaced which was a great encouragement and hope for the future for these families that despite their harrowing situations their children can still excel in their studies and one day pave the way for greater prosperity for themselves and their community.
While in OM we enjoyed a brief visit to our high school boarding house where we provide a safe and nurturing environment to aspiring young village kids who want to continue their education after graduating from our primary school. The 'House of Hope', as it has come to be known, provides a full time free roof over their heads, meals and mentoring for some of our brightest young people from OM village. It was particularly enjoyable to see the major bathroom and kitchen upgrade that was nearing completion and will dramatically improve their quality of life.
Interspersed in amongst all of this was plenty of time to reconnect with the key players in the ongoing success of our projects, along with visits to some of the more well known and more 'off the beaten track' tourists attractions that Cambodia has to offer.
If you've made it this far thanks for your interest and ongoing encouragement and support. I've attached a handful of pics of some of the highlights from our trip. Hopefully we can get back into the swing of more regular visits to Cambodia so there may be an opportunity for you to join us on a future trip, so stay tuned.
