Poverty Elevation @ Cambodia

The planning and Collaboration with Operation Hope Foundation to go to Prey Vang to build a house was rather eye opening.

With a 13.5% of the population below the poverty line, many of their citizens are unable to have proper lodging and access to clean water. (Asian Development Bank, 2017)

The overall aim of this humanitarian project was to provide and build for a family a house and to supply them with some food and money. OHF helped to source out for the beneficiary, while my team sourced for the finance and food supplies.

Initially, i assembled a team of 4, to help with the planning, but along the way, i learned that they would also require help as some of them are students.

throughout the planning for the trip, we hit a few major setbacks, the biggest of all was finance as are unable to come up with the amount of it. luckily, we were able to talk to a church, Blessed Grace Church and they agreed to let us use their premises to hold a fair (no photos for that sadly)
thanks to the church, we were able to raise enough money for the trip.

My fellow team members were also helpful as they always give feedback to me on how I can lead better and help them more efficiently. Learning is part of life, and I am truly thankful for this bunch being honest with me :)

well, enough boring stuff, let us get on to the fun part.

The team that went. not gonna name them for privacy sake.

their initial living condition, a poorly built house that looks rather flimsy.

the area with the pails is a hand pumped well, pumping water (non-portable) from the ground up.

 that red hut there, that's their toilet. there's no flush, running water or lights. 

just a hole where you do your business

Gathering the team and briefing them on the things that needed to be done.

reminding them about safety as this is a foreign country.

a common school for the villager's kids. their schooling fees are paid by the government. teachers from throughout the country will come here to teach the kids

The white dude is a government teacher. 

He explained to us that teachers at the village are willing to be there because of their passion for teaching 

Don't look at me, look at the blackboard!

The Volunteers Hammering away! sorry for the lack of pictures!

                            

                  ^Are we half way there?                                     Can't forget about the foundations right?^

 hey, gotta take a break once in a while no? 

Playing with the kids once in awhile.

That's cement being mixed! yes, by hand. No machinery to help!

Please, don't do this at home. totally unsafe practice

Putting the finishing planks up!

BEHOLD! the completed house!

Maybe a short break, with food, together with the locals, inside the house we built.

Now that the house is done, Gather the kids, and let's give them MILO!

Distributing The Malt Drink (MILO) out to the kids :D

Presenting the house ownership Certificate to the House owner

^Bye! wait, were we going off to?                                 ^ Killer view to boot by the way.

So we went to the orphanage. 

To keep the Singapore spirit going, we had food first! HAHAHA

the kids queuing up to take their lunch.

The Orphanage has better facilities than the villages.

A short while after lunch, we gathered the kids and prepare for some games!

Yep, that's right... field games!

But not all of them like to play on the field right?

 How about handicrafts?                                     Perhaps building a 3d puzzle of the Eiffel tower?
A paracord bracelet maybe?

Back at the Dorms, we got to mingle around with the local students and play games with them on the last night!

Every Singaporean favorite time, food time

Okay... maybe too many games last night....

Well, that is a summary of how we went to Cambodia to do something that would be beneficial to at least one family. sure it's just one family, but it's better than not doing anything at all :)