Show of support: Blue Mountains families with Cambodian villagers on their recent trip to the country.
08 Aug, 2012
A group of Blue Mountains residents returned from a two-week trip to
Cambodia recently where they helped make a difference to the lives of
some of the world’s poorest people.
But trip co-ordinator Damon Dreves
said the 31 locals probably experienced more life-changing moments than
the Cambodian villagers they went to visit.
“Realistically the people who went on the trip probably gained more in some ways than the people we went to help,” he said.
This
was certainly the case for Springwood resident Ben Curran who took his
family on the trip after hearing powerful stories from locals who went
on a similar tour in 2011.
“When I got back to our house. . . I
looked around at everything [we own] and just cried — I cried because we
have so much and we take it for granted,” he said.
Lesley Lancaster was another Springwood resident whose family had their outlook challenged by the extreme poverty in Cambodia.
“We
saw lots of really sad stuff and stuff that was heartbreaking, but then
there was really great stuff that people were doing over there that was
quite inspiring,” she said.
The Blue Mountains contingent did
their own share of inspiring work, from helping construct much-needed
school buildings to teaching local children.
Made up of
parishioners from Springwood Baptist Church and their friends, the group
raised $15,000 beforehand to help fund their work in Cambodia.
Despite
their poverty, the positive attitude of the local Cambodians was a
source of constant inspiration for their Blue Mountains visitors.
“They are unbelievably happy people — and they loved saying hello,” said Mr Curran.
For more information about the group visit ‘Cambodia Experience Tour’ on Facebook.
No comments:
Post a Comment