Sunny smiles as Clare Holmes walks with Cambodian orphans from Chres Village Orphanage.Liberal Daily
http://www.dailyliberal.com.au
CARLY DOLAN
11/06/2009
The difficult lifestyle of orphaned children in Cambodia that Clare Holman witnessed earlier this year and the bond she developed with them was enough to make the 21-year-old from Wellington set up a sponsorship program.
Earlier this year Ms Holman volunteered at the Chres Village Orphanage where she taught the children English as well as simple things like how to brush their teeth.
“I also just spent a lot of time talking to them and playing with them, and I also taught them about personal hygiene,” she said.
Ms Holman said the confronting reality of poverty in Cambodia was “shocking” at first.
“It was also a shock to see how happy they could be with so little,” she said.
It was cold in January and the children did not have jumpers, and went without simple things like breakfast.
“But they were still so happy,” she said. “It was an eye opener.”
During her stay, Ms Holman “fell in love with the children” and found her time there “very rewarding”.
“They improved so much,” she said.
One boy could not speak any English at all, or read or write by himself. But by the end of Ms Holman’s two months, he could speak quite confidently.
“The confidence they built up was one of the most important things,” she said.
Ms Holman had been to Cambodia once before on a holiday, but it was when her parents visited at the end of last year that they came across the orphanage.
“I decided to go over and volunteer there when my parents told me about it,” she said.
Everyday Ms Holman would travel half an hour from her home to arrive at the orphanage at 7.30 in the morning and then leave at 6pm.
At the end of her two months, Ms Holman said it was very hard.
“We all cried,” she said.
On her return, Ms Holman set up a sponsorship program for the orphanage, with 100 per cent of the money going to the children.
“I went through an accountant and lawyer and set up a trust fund which families deposit money into and it gets put in the orphanage account,” she said.
“That way they get all the money.”
Half the children have received sponsorship so far, but 25 are still in need of money.
“It’s $30 a month, and that pays for their food for that month,” Ms Holman said.
The first lot of payments went through in May.
Ms Holman hopes to go back to volunteer at the orphanage at the end of the year and stay for 12 months, but that will depend on money.
“I’m a volunteer so I have to pay for myself,” she said.
Anyone who would like to sponsor a child can email clarehol_87@yahoo.com.au for further details.
carly.dolan@ruralpress.com
http://www.dailyliberal.com.au
CARLY DOLAN
11/06/2009
The difficult lifestyle of orphaned children in Cambodia that Clare Holman witnessed earlier this year and the bond she developed with them was enough to make the 21-year-old from Wellington set up a sponsorship program.
Earlier this year Ms Holman volunteered at the Chres Village Orphanage where she taught the children English as well as simple things like how to brush their teeth.
“I also just spent a lot of time talking to them and playing with them, and I also taught them about personal hygiene,” she said.
Ms Holman said the confronting reality of poverty in Cambodia was “shocking” at first.
“It was also a shock to see how happy they could be with so little,” she said.
It was cold in January and the children did not have jumpers, and went without simple things like breakfast.
“But they were still so happy,” she said. “It was an eye opener.”
During her stay, Ms Holman “fell in love with the children” and found her time there “very rewarding”.
“They improved so much,” she said.
One boy could not speak any English at all, or read or write by himself. But by the end of Ms Holman’s two months, he could speak quite confidently.
“The confidence they built up was one of the most important things,” she said.
Ms Holman had been to Cambodia once before on a holiday, but it was when her parents visited at the end of last year that they came across the orphanage.
“I decided to go over and volunteer there when my parents told me about it,” she said.
Everyday Ms Holman would travel half an hour from her home to arrive at the orphanage at 7.30 in the morning and then leave at 6pm.
At the end of her two months, Ms Holman said it was very hard.
“We all cried,” she said.
On her return, Ms Holman set up a sponsorship program for the orphanage, with 100 per cent of the money going to the children.
“I went through an accountant and lawyer and set up a trust fund which families deposit money into and it gets put in the orphanage account,” she said.
“That way they get all the money.”
Half the children have received sponsorship so far, but 25 are still in need of money.
“It’s $30 a month, and that pays for their food for that month,” Ms Holman said.
The first lot of payments went through in May.
Ms Holman hopes to go back to volunteer at the orphanage at the end of the year and stay for 12 months, but that will depend on money.
“I’m a volunteer so I have to pay for myself,” she said.
Anyone who would like to sponsor a child can email clarehol_87@yahoo.com.au for further details.
carly.dolan@ruralpress.com
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