Fundraising: Matthew Byrne with some of the children at the New Hope for Cambodian Children orphanage.Busselton-Dunsborough Mail
ROSANNA DALIBOR
20/05/2009
WITH a soft heart for children, Matthew Byrne from Busselton is planning his third visit to Cambodia to volunteer at an orphanage.
The orphanage is run by New Hope for Cambodian Children (NHCC) and Matthew will teach English as well as run a preschool for the younger ones.
Matthew first visited Cambodia in 2007 as part of his last year at MacKillop Catholic College. He went back, alone, last year to spend four months volunteering at the orphanage, where 95 per cent of children have HIV or AIDS.
Before leaving last year, Matthew raised $5500 to help build four new classrooms and this year his goal is to raise $8200 before he leaves in June for three months. He told the Mail the money would help fund a chicken project that aims to provide meat, eggs and agricultural learning, to make the village more sustainable.
“It will consist of two concrete houses for the chooks, one for eggs and one for meat,” he said. “The children will be able to help out by collecting eggs and looking after chickens.”
Matthew said the way of living in Cambodia was very different to that in Australia. “It’s hard to see them being so deprived of things, and that makes you want to help,” he said.
“The money is not the most important thing, it’s going there and being with the children that’s amazing.”
Matthew lives with the children while he’s there and when he’s not teaching them he’s playing with them – soccer, volleyball and basketball – and he loves to see the children enjoying themselves.
He might only have electricity for three hours a day, no running or hot-shower water and no washing machine, but it’s the people and the beauty of the country that makes him want to go back.
“You see TV commercials showing sick children and presenters asking you to make a difference in this world. As small as the difference that I’m making is, it still makes me feel good knowing that I’m contributing something to the disadvantaged.”
If you want to support Matthew in his fundraising, contact him on 0404 182 882 or email him on ma.byrne@hotmail.com
He is also selling quilts, which have been handmade by Cambodian women with HIV/AIDS, and all proceeds will go to NHCC.
No comments:
Post a Comment