Blog Post

Impressions from Cambodia project visit

HOPE-JP • July 15, 2019

...a student’s memoire

At my school, there is a club called the HOPE Cambodia Service Club which regularly organizes activities and events to support HOPE’s projects. As part of the Club’s program, a few students go on a trip to Cambodia every year. I decided to participate in this trip last year because I had been involved with HOPE for a while and knew about the issues in Cambodia through research and stories. However, I had never actually been to Cambodia, so I wanted to find out the realities of poverty and get to know more about HOPE’s projects

The first project that I visited was a school construction project. This was in the Angkrong village of Pursat, where many children cannot access education because of reasons such as lack of school buildings and poverty. Before going on the trip, we had fundraised to build three classrooms in this school, so we also helped out with the construction process during our stay. The work was tough and exhausting but the local children who will be using the school helped with us, which motivated me to work harder. I was also able to form a friendship with some of the children and I was surprised but glad to see how happy they all looked, even during difficult work, because they were finally able to go to a proper school. This reminded me of how I go to school every day without giving it a second thought, while there are children younger than me around the world who cannot do so even if they wanted to. I had never before realized so clearly how I take what I have for granted and it shocked me to see the reality of the issues of poverty.

After the school construction, I had the privilege of meeting two families, one who had recently received a well and another, who was on the waitlist. Each lived in a very remote area but there was a stark difference in their lifestyles as the family who received the well was living in much better conditions than the family waiting for it. I also visited a construction site for a new well in another remote area and the family talked to us about how glad they were to finally get a well. These experiences taught me once again the importance and the impact of water for the families in Cambodia who have to walk several kilometers to reach a water source.

This trip was one of the most eye-opening experiences of my life so far. It was surprising, sometimes shocking and difficult, but at the same time, made me more motivated to contribute to the cause. After this trip, I became the leader of the Club at my school and am now trying to show the other members why our donations and HOPE’s projects matter. I am also doing an internship at HOPE and through this experience, I am planning on further deepening my understanding of HOPE’s role in countries like Cambodia. I will continue to do my best to aid people in need and hope to be engaged with HOPE in the future too!