Wheel2Wheel

MY NEW HOPE VISIT

I have just returned from my visit in Cambodia with New Hope.  It was another eye opening opportunity for me. I was amazed to see all those smiling faces despite the fact that they are all living in slums and in “extreme” living conditions.

 

Monetary help is essential to New Hope, but showing “love” and “support” is also very important to these people.

 

w2w blog 1We spent time walking through the slums. I have NEVER seen anything like this in my life before.  The people are all living in the most primitive ways, self built houses constructed of only wood, straw and whatever other scraps of material they can find.  They have NO fresh water and families barely survive by eating rice mixed with water and occasionally fish caught in the dirty river nearby.  Meat to them is pretty much “unheard of”.  The village kids run around naked or with clothes that are far too big for them.  These people are extremely skinny, most of them suffering from malnutrition and riddled with disease.  Despite all of this, the kids  would run to us smiling and want to hold your hands and hug you.

 

 

w2w blog 2New Hope has given these people HOPE and a meaning to live. A lot of the kids and the women have been abused in many ways. They have lost the trust and faith in human beings.  I strongly believe that with volunteers like us, showing up has definitely brought them hope! More importantly, we have helped them to regain trust in people.

 

One of the major reasons why W2W picked New Hope is it does not only provide monetary support  to these unfortunate souls, but New Hope also provides education, medical and other sorts of NON- MONETARY assistance.

 

Before New Hope came on board, a lot of these kids did not have the opportunity of an education. With NO education, you will eventually be abandoned and will have NO hope in improving your living standards. By providing the next generation with sufficient education, they will be able to find themselves better jobs and thereby having a better life. With NO education, this will NEVER happen.

 

w2w blog 3This experience also brings me back to a discussion that I had with my father a few weeks ago.  He was questioning why I would want to pay a visit to our charitable organisations, but rather use the money I spent on traveling  to the organisations (i.e. air tickets, hotel accommodation) instead for a donation.  With the hands on field experience that I have encountered in the past few days, it has enabled me to write this blog and share my first hand experience with the people around me. I do believe that action from experience, passion and words can be stronger than just writing a cheque!!!

 

I am feeling so “privileged” to be part of W2W. I have experienced so far three of our amazing charitable organisations: Gecko in China (educating the next generation on environment issues), Animals Asia in Vietnam (saving the moon bear) and most recently, New Hope in Cambodia.  These are experiences that nobody will be able to take away from me.  These experiences will be part of who I am!!! And it has reminds me once again that how blessed I have been…

 

 

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